


A Boy Like That

by Mal_Evans



Category: American Horror Story
Genre: Angst, Explicit Language, F/M, Fanfiction, Fluff, Freak Show, Horror, Mild Smut, Minor Character Death, POV Third Person, Romance, Serial Killers, Violence, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-25
Updated: 2020-05-18
Packaged: 2020-05-19 07:18:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 30
Words: 55,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19352128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mal_Evans/pseuds/Mal_Evans
Summary: A boy who kills cannot love, a boy who kills has no heart. He was never destined to feel love, but for whatever reason, Dandy chose her. Could she learn to love him?





	1. The Acrobat.

**_**

**  
** **Jupiter, Florida**

**1952  
**   
**_**

It was late in the evening when Dandy Mott and his mother, Gloria, arrived at the freakshow. Rosalie Greene was backstage, tugging on the thick, strong ropes hanging from the ceiling on the corner of the stage. Rosalie was excited for the sold-out show, especially since they had only been in Jupiter for a few weeks. She couldn't wait to show off her acrobatic skills, being such a skilled body contortionist in a freak show was beyond her wildest dreams. The Ringling Brothers wouldn't accept her; they were concerned for the well-being of the children. It wasn't until Elsa Mars found her months later, performing on the side of the road trying to make enough money to eat.   
  
She felt a hand touch her back, and it was familiar. "Are you ready for this audience?"   
  
It was Jimmy Darling, the show's Lobster Boy. They had taken a liking to each other the moment they met, but there was always something holding them back from taking their relationship to the next level. She turned to him and smiled, her dark brown eyes finding his. His eyes were on another level of intensity, and she couldn't understand why she hadn't been blessed with the same gift.   
  
"I've been ready," was all she said, tucking her black hair behind her ear. Jimmy smiled at her, and he pressed a kiss to her cheek. Rosalie blushed, and suddenly they were being hustled away from each other. Ethel took her son away, giving Rosalie a look of concern. His mother was protective of her only boy, and she often thought that was the reason they haven't made anything official, his mother is slightly overbearing.   
  
"Are you ready?" Elsa Mars had asked, wearing a sheer robe over her stage uniform. In the distance, Bette, and Dot, the shows newest addition and conjoined twins were watching, one waving excitedly and the other glaring at her sister. Rosalie waved happily before telling Elsa she was good to go.   
  
"Everyone in their place! Now!" Elsa said, clapping her hands as everybody scattered. Rosalie headed to the left, staying back behind the curtains to patiently wait for her turn, her heart beating so fast that she almost needed to sit down. There was going to be a vast audience out there waiting to see what she and her family could do.  **_  
**   
"And now, you will witness the world's most flexible young lady! Only five-foot-two, this woman will make your toes curl while your eyes take in the most elastic human being of our generation, and only here will you find her. Please welcome, Rosalie Greene!"  
  
Rosalie came out from her corner, her eyeliner thick and the darkest shade of black one could find around this town. Her hair had been pulled into a French braid, showing off her pale cheekbones and fabulous brown eyes. She took a bow, before noticing that there were only two people in the audience; not two hundred.   
  
The look on her face was noticeable to Jimmy, who was watching from the wings. He had the same reaction as her but had enough experience to hide it well. He watched as Rosalie smiled, waving to their guests before scaling the thick ropes like it was nothing. The young man sitting with his mother stood up, watching with a slacked jaw as she reached the highest point. Rosalie slipped her foot into one of the ties, before allowing the opposite foot to slowly tread towards the ground, allowing her body to form a split. The only difference was she was almost one-hundred feet into the air. Rosalie started to pivot her body until she was a blur to everybody. Jimmy watched as her body twisted into positions he would throw up just imagining himself trying to do. She twirled and flexed around like a cat chasing a ball of yarn, and it was breathtaking.   
  
When the show was over, everybody met backstage and exchanged hugs and congratulations. Bette and Dot were quiet, feeling out of place due to it being their first show, but knowing deep down, they have found their new family. "You were amazing," Jimmy said, approaching Rosalie with a grin. They hugged each other, holding on a bit longer than considered necessary and were broken apart by Ma Petite tugging at Rosalie's stockings.   
  
Rosalie laughed and picked her up, holding her close as Paul brought out the cheap champagne while Eve brought the glasses. Any show called for a proper celebration. Rosalie set Ma Petite down and excused herself, running off to the bathroom. Elsa banned anyone from leaving the stage during a performance, which made it a chore to hold your bladder for nearly two hours. It was a relief when she could finally wear her leotard without feeling like she was going to pop.   
  
She almost yelled in fright when the same guy sitting in the audience was there, waiting impatiently with an excited grin on his face. Rosalie gripped her chest, letting out a breath in shock, "You scared me!"  
  
"I'm sorry?" he said, almost confused as if he had never apologized before. He was dressed flamboyantly enough to catch anyone's attention, and Rosalie automatically knew he was wealthy. If you could believe it not many of the first class wanted to see freaks performing, they found it disgraceful to the ordinary folk.   
  
"It's okay," she replied lamely. There was something awkward about this man. "Uhm, are you waiting for someone?" she asked, figuring it was probably his mother.   
  
"Yes! You!" he chirped, and for a moment she felt honored that somebody wanted to speak to her after the show. It was what he said after, though, that caught her off guard. "How much?"

 


	2. There Was A Murder.

"What?" Rosalie asked, bewildered.

The stranger seemed to be lost for a split second, and that's when the crew came out, being led by Jimmy. The slim woman in her red coat ran to catch up, her steps light and dainty.

"Dandy! There you are, darling!" she said, her voice naturally whimsical.

That was his name, Dandy, Rosalie thought. It was fitting for the man standing in front of her. He had to be in his mid-twenties, but there was something childish about him that was almost unsettling.

"We don't allow guests back here," Jimmy said, coming to a stop next to Rosalie. Dandy looked to his mother for help, and that was enough to confirm her assumptions.

"My Dandy means no harm I can assure you. My name is Gloria, and we would like to buy this young lady from you,"

"My monster's aren't prostitutes!" Elsa said suspiciously, eyeing the two people in front of her as if they were nasty, dirty cockroaches.

"You misunderstand!" Gloria said, still smiling, "We don't want to buy anyone for the night, we would like to buy her permanently."

Jimmy looked at them with a mixture of hate and distrust. Rosalie instantly took a step closer to him, but nobody seemed to notice, maybe except for Dandy whose bottom lip quivered only slightly.

"We'll offer you five-thousand," Gloria continued before anyone could speak.

"Do you know how important my girl is to this show?" Elsa glared at the small woman in front of her, "Nothing like her in the world, you will never find one like her again!" Elsa said, before turning to look at Rosalie, "Do you think five-thousand is a fair price for you?"

"N-No? That's absolutely crazy, I'm not something that can be bought at the store!" Rosalie replied with a shaky voice.

"Ten-thousand!" Dandy interjected, only causing another heated-debate between Gloria and Elsa.

"No!" both Jimmy and Rosalie said at the same time.

"FIFTEEN-THOUSAND and not a penny more! Unless she grows another head." Gloria said. "Absolutely not, this needs to end now!" Jimmy said, putting his arm around Rosalie's muscular shoulders.

"We are a family here," Elsa said, taking steps closer to the small, broken family in front of her. "You will not split up this family."

Dandy's face had fallen dramatically, and despite feeling like a piece of property, Rosalie almost felt bad for him. She barely heard Gloria's insults thrown at Elsa, but after they had left, Elsa hid away in her tent, and nobody saw her for the rest of the night.

Rosalie was applying some lotion to her legs when there was a knock on her trailer door. She peeked through the small window and saw Jimmy, and she wasted no time in letting him in. 

"You smell good," Jimmy said, helping himself by taking a seat on the corner of her bed. Rosalie smiled at him and rolled down the fabric of her pajama pants.

"Those ropes do a great job at chafing," Rosalie commented before turning off the light to her vanity. "It's kind of late, is everything okay?"

Jimmy did some thinking for a moment before she joined him on the bed. His hands were resting gently on his legs, and he stared down at them.

"I've just been bothered about what happened earlier, with those people," Jimmy said, looking up to meet her eyes. "The way that guy was looking at you, I think something is wrong with him."

Rosalie nodded, somewhat agreeing with him. "He really didn't say much, I guess I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have."

"I'm glad you decided to stay, though," he said affectionately.

"Of course I was going to stay, you guys took me in when nobody else did. We're family here, just like Elsa said."

Jimmy seemed beyond relieved, and they laid back together, talking for a while before parting ways once Rosalie's clock said two in the morning.

A few days had passed with nothing out of the ordinary. They did a few shows, making a fair profit on their nightly displays, but what neither of them knew was they always had the same visitor sitting in the very back, wanting to remain unnoticed.

Just one week after he saw her for the first time, Dandy Mott had watched her perform at every show, thinking of himself as her number one fan. The way she moved so effortlessly and the way she could control her body made him realize he wasn't the only beautiful oddity in this life. There was another one, a woman he could share it with and feel normal for the first time ever.

_

There was a lot of yelling and sounds of something being hammered into the ground. Rosalie peeked her head out from her trailer, worried that someone was attempting to break into the grounds. She could see torches off into the distance, where a group of people was standing in a circle. She could clearly hear Jimmy's voice above all others, and as she went to investigate, she noticed they were holding weapons, attacking whatever was laying in front of them.

She grew closer and noticed it was a dead body. Rosalie gasped, holding her hands over her mouth, watching her family mutilate another human being right in front of her. Her stomach churned uncomfortably, and the sound of retching caused Pepper to turn around, seeing Rosalie throw up into a nearby bush.

Pepper pointed, pronouncing the first syllable of Rosalie's name before everybody abruptly stopped, turning to see her getting up and wiping her mouth.

Jimmy was terrified at the sight of her, he had intentionally left her out of this for a reason. He knew she couldn't take it. "Rosalie-" he said, dropping his machete to reach out to her.

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" she yelled, taking multiple steps back before tripping over a stump. She gasped in pain, quickly picking herself up and taking off back to her trailer while they called after her in a panic. She could hear Meep yelling his own name among the crowd, but even then, she couldn't bring herself to stop.

Rosalie locked herself into her trailer, sinking down to the floor with her heart beating too quickly for her to handle. Her family just took somebody's life in one of the most brutal ways possible. She gasped, trying to catch her breath as she felt warm liquid moving down her leg. She noticed there was a small cut there and stood up to clean it off, putting a band-aid over the wound and keeping the lights off, hoping nobody will bother her.

Later that night, once everybody had disappeared into their trailers and the lights were turned off, Rosalie walked out of her home with a suitcase and a flashlight, heading into town on foot.

She needed to leave for a while.


	3. Gone But Not Forgotten.

Rosalie had awoken sometime the next morning curled up in the woods, the main road just a few feet away. The sun was already hot, and her face was covered in a light sheen of sweat. Her bag was sitting next to her still, thankfully. She stood up to shake off the bugs, peeking through the trees to make sure nobody was driving past.

As she started walking, she thought about the guys back home. Home, if she wanted to even call it that anymore. They had to notice she wasn't there by now and, for all she knew, Jimmy could show up on his bike at any moment. Rosalie took a pause and glanced behind her, seeing a desolate road behind for miles. She picked up her pace a little, feeling her stomach start to growl.

Back at the grounds, she hadn't been far off. Everyone had been running around like decapitated chickens, unable to find Rosalie. Jimmy was sitting on the steps of her trailer, staring off into the distance as everybody else slowly walked towards him, having seen absolutely nothing.

"Where could she possibly be?" Paul had asked, and nobody had an answer. Despite being the most normal looking out of the bunch, she never went anywhere. Jimmy would bring her shakes from the diner from time to time, but whenever he offered to take her, Rosalie refused. There was no way in hell she would be able to navigate this unfamiliar town on her own.

"You don't think she ran off, do you?" Eve asked, settling her hands on her hips. Everybody shared a look, not wanting to believe it.

Jimmy mumbled a string of curse words before he stood up, looking at his beloved troupe, "I don't think she would have run off, she doesn't know these streets well," he said, already heading towards his bike on the other side of the grounds. They followed close behind, the smaller ones struggling to keep up his quick pace.

"It would make sense after what she saw last night though, wouldn't it?" Paul said once they approached his bike. "She doesn't know what that cop tried to do to us!"

There was a string of agreements, and even Jimmy had to admit he had the same idea. But it didn't make sense, it wasn't like her to run off and not tell anybody. Rosalie was known for taking walks along the perimeter, and it was easy to lose her temporarily, but if that were the case, they would have found her already.

"I'm going into town, does anybody want to come with me?" Jimmy offered, only to be awarded silence. He figured as much, their job could be a lot harder if the public decided to speak up about the 'freaks.' "I need you to keep your eyes peeled if she happens to find her way back-"

"What if you can't find her?" Suzi piped up from below. "Do we call the authorities?"

"I don't know, they would probably do something since she isn't their idea of a total disgrace to their normalcy," Eve mumbled.

"If it comes down to it we will figure that out," Jimmy said, starting the bike and revving the engine. "Keep your eyes open!" he declared a final time before speeding off, leaving his family behind.

_

The steady sound of a car approaching caught Rosalie off guard. She tried keeping her head down, not wanting to be bothered by any strange men attempting to pick her up. Her eyes followed the white edge lines, keeping her focus until she heard a whimsical, familiar voice.

"Dear, why are you walking out here all alone?" she called from inside the car.

Rosalie stopped dead in her tracks, realizing it was Gloria Mott smiling at her. She stuttered a few times, unsure if Gloria recognized her or not without her hair tied back. Strangely enough, Rosalie had been told numerous times she looked completely different when her hair was up, or at least tied back. "I-I'm lost," she admitted.

"I can sense that, dear. Say, could I persuade you to keep my boy some company for today? He is really down in the dumps, I can pay you generously for your time!"

Rosalie had no idea if Gloria was being serious or not. But by the gentle smile on the older woman's face, it became clear to her that she was.

"Dandy absolutely loved you at the freak show, it would make him so happy!" she continued on, a certain gleam in her eyes when she mentioned her only child.

Well, it is nice to know you remember me, but lady, you and your son tried to buy me last week-

Rosalie thought more about it. Gloria only said for the day and nothing more. Rosalie had no money to eat, and maybe afterward, she would be ready to go back home. She could just leave when the sunset and would be on her merry way.

"Sure," Rosalie said, her voice not as enthusiastic as Gloria hoped it would be. The older woman didn't care, though, her son's happiness meant the world to her. Gloria beckoned Rosalie into the front seat and quickly drove off down the street. Rosalie wondered if this was a good idea.

Just minutes later, Jimmy Darling had made it to the spot where Rosalie had been picked up. He stopped the bike on the side of the road, climbing off to observe his surroundings. It had barely been ten minutes, and he was already plagued with dread; worse than he felt at the camp.

"ROSALIE!" he yelled, scaring a flock of birds who had been chilling on the telephone wires above him. He stood there, yelling her name a few more times before getting back on his bike, finishing the trek he had only just started.


	4. Dandy And His New Friends.

"LEAVE ME ALONE, MOTHER!"

Rosalie jumped at the sudden, loud booming voice of a man-child in distress. She had been sitting in this room for a few hours; a place made for little kids, but Gloria was convinced it was perfect for her beloved, twenty-five-year-old Dandy. Rosalie let a hand touch her bag near her feet, already feeling like a grave mistake was made by accepting the money for this. She stood up, making her way over to the window and seeing that it was too high of a jump. Rosalie would be splattered on the concrete within seconds.

"Are your eyes closed?" Gloria asked excitedly, swinging the set of double doors open. "Don't be stupid." Dandy sniffled, and carefully took the remaining steps into his bedroom before Gloria released him. Dandy's eyes automatically settled on Rosalie, and they were positively glowing.

"It's your favorite performer from the show! You can do whatever you want with her!-"

LADY WHAT?

"-I'll leave you two alone!" she said excitedly, before closing the doors. And like promised, it was just the two of them.

Dandy had the goofiest smile on his face, and the twinkle in his eye held so many ideas on activities they could do together. Rosalie shifted awkwardly in her spot by the window. Compared to the Mott household, she was severely underdressed. She was wearing old, torn men's jeans and a dark cardigan that managed to hide any dirt she probably had on her from her nap in the woods.

If he touched her, his fancy outfit would immediately be thrown out.

"It's you!" Dandy exclaimed, closing the distance between them, almost too close. Rosalie laughed a little before taking a single step back. Dandy didn't seem to notice or even care; he was too busy gawking at her.

"It's me," Rosalie replied quietly. She figured she would break the ice by extending her hand to him, and was shocked when he instantly grabbed it and fell to his knees in welcome. It was strange behavior for someone just yelling at his mother to leave him be.

"I am so glad you are here! I have seen the show every single night this week, you are exquisite." Dandy said excitedly. "My name is Dandy, you have my full undivided attention, what would you like to do?" he asked, finally standing up. He towered over her by nearly a foot, and she found that intimidating.

"Uhm- thanks, but-" she thought for a brief moment, not wanting to be on the opposite end of his anger issues. "What would you like to do?" she offered.

"I thought you would never ask," Dandy said.

_

"I'll be the king, and you will be Anna!" Dandy said, shoving a puppet into her hands. She looked down at the sad, wooden doll in her arms. "We can do my favorite scene from the King and I! Have you seen it?"

"I actually haven't, money has always been tight," Rosalie answered truthfully. She would love to see shows on Broadway, it was a dream of hers.

Dandy didn't seem particularly phased by her revelation, at least not at first.

"I saw the show on opening night, and then every night for a whole week," Dandy sighed proudly, "Much like watching you perform, it is spectacular, and something new every single night!"

"I try," Rosalie said, shrugging. Dandy's smile slowly faded, and that is when he dropped his doll, rushing over to the long table by the window. He dug inside for about thirty seconds before taking out a slightly thick, damaged script. Dandy walked to her, immediately flipping to the dog-eared page.

"I know what will cheer you up, learn these lines!" he said, now thrusting that into her arms as well.

"Dandy, I don't want to sound rude, but I think you'll be a little disappointed in my acting skills," she laughed a little, "They're not Broadway material at all,"

"I have always dreamed about being a Thespian," Dandy sighed, his tone almost sounding as whimsical as his mothers. "I could if my mother stopped holding me back-" he abruptly paused, watching her as she scanned Anna's lines with a furrowed brow. He stared at her, perplexed by her beauty, from her dark eyebrows all the way to her bare feet sticking out from her jeans, he was in awe.

"Would your friends accept me at the show?" he suddenly asked.

Rosalie looked at him in confusion, "What are you-"

"Could I be a performer? At your show!?" Dandy asked again, the light in his eyes expanding ten-fold. "It would be a lovely experience, being on stage in front of all of those people..." he trailed off. If Rosalie didn't know any better, she would say he was drooling over the idea of fame, whether it was good or bad.

"Dandy, you're not-"

"Not what?" he interrupted, and for a brief moment, there was a flash of anger in his eyes. Rosalie immediately closed the script.

"Could you let me finish?" she asked and was surprised to see that he had shut up. Rosalie sighed, looking at him with reassurance. "There's nothing good for you there, Dandy," she said, deciding to thoroughly rephrase what she had really wanted to say. "If you're serious about being a performer, there are other places that will accept you for who you are."

"When I'm there, I feel normal!" he yelled, before his lips formed into a pout. There was already dread building in the pit of her belly, but Rosalie didn't say anything in fear of a bigger blow-out than before.

Dandy took the script back from her, before stomping over to toss it back into the drawer. Rosalie awkwardly stood there, already debating just taking her shit and getting out of there before it got worse. Dandy kicked away the wooden puppets that were now laying at their feet, and before anyone could say a word, his bedroom door swung open once again, revealing a terrifying clown.

Rosalie took a step closer to Dandy without thinking. He looked down at her before turning his attention to their new guest. Apparently, the deranged looking clown wasn't a bother to Dandy who left Rosalie's side, approaching it with an inspired look.

"Dandy," Rosalie hissed, but he only brushed her off. She took a few steps back before her knees hit a table. The sound of something falling over didn't even phase Dandy, who came to a stop just a few feet away from the clown.

"Another gift from my mother, I see! I bet she tipped you handsomely," Dandy started, either not noticing or just ignoring the crazy look in that mans eyes. Rosalie watched with a grim expression, just waiting to be lunged at with one of those pins sticking out from the shabby bag the clown was holding. "I want to be entertained-" Dandy paused, before finally turning to look at Rosalie. "I want you to entertain us!"

"Shit," Rosalie whispered to herself.


	5. True Colors.

Ironically enough, the clown Dandy's mother hired wasn't up to par with his expectations quite yet.

Rosalie was stuck sitting next to the guy as Dandy went ahead and performed the puppet show himself. It was hilarious, she had to admit, seeing how into the roles he got, but his constant interrupting to talking about an actor he had seen and what he would have done differently was what really got to her. 

Dandy eventually put the puppets down and stood, glaring at the clown who only watched with a straight face. Rosalie had clapped and laughed at the appropriate times, but found that her approval was genuine. 

"Your silence is utterly provocative," Dandy said, quickly walking to his toy chest. He opened the lid and demanded that the clown look through his toy collection and to stop sitting there. The clown stood up and did what was asked of him, but once Dandy started looking through his bag-

"I don't think you should be doing that!" Rosalie hissed at him. 

Dandy only shrugged and forced two dirty, wooden pins into her arms. He smirked at her, and neither noticed that the clown had his eyes on them. 

There was a loud whack, and Dandy suddenly lunged forward, heaving in pain. Rosalie dropped the pins and touched his shoulders, listening to him moan against the floor. The clown gathered up his things and rushed out the door, letting them slam against the wall. 

Dandy pushed himself up, his black hair falling in front of his eyes. The both of them stared at the empty doorway, and Rosalie helped him up. 

"I'm going to follow him!-" Dandy said, already stepping away from her.   
"He just smacked you in the back of the head!" Rosalie stated, following Dandy as he left his room and started going down the steps. "I don't think you-"

"Come with me," Dandy said, turning to look at her. "If not I'm going out there on my own!" 

Rosalie wanted to yell in his face for being stupid, but she wouldn't feel right allowing him to go out with someone dangerous. Rosalie eventually agreed, and they ran out of the house, following the tracks of the clown; Rosalie feeling scared to death. 

_

Jimmy made his way back to camp before nightfall, feeling defeated. Nobody in town had seen her or anyone remotely similar. The sound of his motorcycle caused everybody to rush out of their tents, hoping for some good news. 

"You didn't find her?" someone had asked, but Jimmy wasn't focused enough to hear who it was. 

"Nobody has seen her," Jimmy said as he dismounted his bike. 

"Why are all of you standing out here?" the voice of Elsa Mars asked, coming out dressed in her favorite silk robe. Jimmy read the faces around him and realized nobody had told her.

Eve was holding Ma Petite tightly in her grasp, and was the first one to speak, "We can't find Rosalie,"  
Elsa observed everybody silently, adjusting the silk tie around her waist. Paul slowly made his way into the group, holding his hands to his chest. 

"How long has she been gone?" Elsa demanded, turning to see that Ethel had joined the group as well. Ethel looked at Jimmy's distressed face, and for the first time since she met Rosalie, she felt shame.   
"Nobody has seen her since last night..." Suzi said. 

"Why has nobody said anything!?" Elsa yelled, before lapsing into quick German. Ethel stepped forward and attempting to comfort Elsa, but her hand was slapped away."You should all be ashamed!" Ethel said, "She could be out dead in the woods!"

Pepper burst into tears while Meep started to mumble his name. Jimmy pulled at his hair while Elsa tried to get as much information as possible. They explained the events the night before and how she ran off, but she never left her trailer while they disposed of the officer's body, which had taken a few hours to hide all of the evidence. 

"We can't bring the authorities into this in good conscience," Elsa whispered, "We will already have the police on us for what you all did, we can't risk anything else, I'm sorry."

Jimmy turned and glared at Elsa, wanting to step forward but Ethel had a hand on her son's arm. "You're not even going to try!?" he yelled, "What happened to all of us being a family!?" 

"Do you want to be locked up, Jimmy?" Elsa challenged, "They will find out what went on here and every single one of us will pay for it! If she ran off scared, then she will make her way back if she wishes, but for now, this conversation is over!" Elsa glared at every single person standing in their circle. 

Jimmy felt tears welling up in his eyes, ignoring his mother's comforting hand on his back. He shook her off and walked away, leaving everybody else to stand and watch him go, depressed. 

_

Rosalie had no idea how long they had been walking when a young girl burst through the woods, bouncing from Dandy's chest and onto the ground. Dandy would never admit it, but it did startle him, and he bent down to the panicked blonde sitting in a pile of mud. "Are you okay?" 

"Oh, thank god, please sir, you have to help! The clown is crazy!" she wailed, standing up and beating on his chest. Rosalie felt fear building up in her heart, and Dandy promised the young girl they would help, before lifting her up effortlessly and throwing her over his shoulder. 

"NO! HE IS OVER THERE, HE IS A KILLER!" the girl screamed, looking at Rosalie with frightened eyes, "HELP ME!"

Rosalie ran forward and attempted to stop Dandy who only glared at her, before grabbing her and holding her tightly to his chest, but not in a sweet way. Even while having another girl over his shoulder, he had a tight grip on Rosalie who had no choice but to walk with him. The other girl screamed and carried on while Rosalie just accepted it, knowing she couldn't do anything to save them. 

Dandy and the girls broke through a clearing in the woods to reveal an ugly beat up trailer while the clown from earlier stared at them, expressionless. There was another pair of eyes peeking out through the wooden planks nailed to the outside, and the girl quieted her screams of distress to sobbing. 

"Clown, look what I have for you!" Dandy called, shaking his arm to point out the other girl and not Rosalie. She held onto his arm, hoping it would prevent him from throwing her down into the gravel below them. Dandy scanned the small camp before saying, "You'll have to do a better job of confinement if you want to really have fun!" he said joyfully. 

The clown came closer and took the blonde away from him. Dandy let her go but wasted no time in securing his hold on Rosalie, carrying her into the trailer, not caring that she was flailing around, trying to be free of him. 

"Let me go!" she said, before shrieking when Dandy almost threw her onto the floor. He looked somewhat apologetic at his actions but quickly hid it with a grin, kneeling down to hold her chin in his hand. The young boy on the opposite side stared in terror.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Rose! I need my favorite girl to be a part of the show!" Dandy said excitedly. Rosalie tried to look away, but he only tightened his grip and leaned forward until their noses were almost touching. "I knew it from the moment I saw you, Rosalie, I'm so happy we've been reunited for this wonderful occasion," he whispered to her. 

It was that moment where she knew she wasn't going to be out of his sight any time soon.


	6. Howdy Doody, Dandy.

The next day it was Halloween, which Rosalie found to be Dandy's favorite holiday. 

After their experience yesterday, Dandy had marched her home and asked Dora to make up a room for her. Gloria seemed thrilled that Rosalie was staying over, but had no idea that she feared for her life. 

"I can pay you for tomorrow! Dandy doesn't have any friends," Gloria sighed once Dora left them alone. 

"No, it's fine, I want to be here." Rosalie lied, smiling at her. Gloria seemed overly pleased before jumping in surprise when Dandy burst through the door, his eyes wild. 

"TOMORROW IS HALLOWEEN, MOTHER! ROSALIE NEEDS A COSTUME!"

Which will explain why Rosalie was now anxiously waiting with Dandy to see what she was going as for Halloween. Their maid, Dora, had told Rosalie that Dandy's costumes have always been homemade, but Gloria had gone out to find the best possible outfit for her. 

"Halloween is my favorite holiday," Dandy repeated for what had to be the tenth time that day. Rosalie sat next to him quietly and listened, "I can't wait to go and terrorize the neighborhood!" 

"I haven't dressed for Halloween since I was ten," Rosalie said, figuring Dandy wouldn't be interested, but when he nudged her to continue, she cleared her throat. "I went as a bumblebee, my parents bought my costume but wouldn't take me out. I did my own shitty makeup and everything and ended up getting laughed at by the other kids. I never went out again after that."

Dandy huffed, "I go as the same thing Every. Single. Year. I hope my dreadful mother made me something scary, I want to scare people,"

Rosalie figured this was a long-shot but asked anyway, "Why don't you tell your mother what you want to be instead of waiting?"

"She doesn't let me do anything I want, she is a dishonorable parent," he sighed. "Are your parents still alive?"

Rosalie shook her head. Her parents were killed shortly after her fifteenth birthday when the club they were visiting caught on fire, there were no survivors, save for the security guard standing outside who ran off without trying to save anybody. Rosalie woke up the next morning with the police and her grandmother at the door, and the rest was history."They're dead, it's been about eight years now,"

Dandy didn't say anything. What he did want to say, though, was that wished his mother were dead. His father went first, which was alright, but his absent mother during his childhood had absolutely no idea on how to raise her son and to give him what he wanted. Except for one thing. 

Dora had overheard their conversation in the kitchen and immediately decided to bring out the tray of tea she had been mulling. Dandy glanced up at his maid, his face expressionless while Rosalie gave her a smile and thanked her.

"What is taking her so long?" Dandy demanded, peeking out the windows to the large front yard, not seeing anything. He was anxious to go out and celebrate. 

"I'm sure she will be here shortly," Rosalie assured him, and it seemed to work for the time being. Dora watched that exchange in confusion, seeing as Dandy didn't argue, nor grumble offensive words under his breath. All he did was turn back around and sit next to Rosalie, their knees almost touching. 

Dora poured their tea without a word, before hurrying off to the kitchen for some water. It would seem like the smallest victory for an outsider, but Dora already knew that Dandy was going to flip his shit when Gloria handed him his costume. She didn't approve of any women with that man, he was too much trouble, especially for a girl who treated Dora with respect and was relatively quiet. But maybe this meant Dandy would finally show some responsibility or have control over his temper tantrums. 

They sat in silence sipping on their tea, while hysterical laughter broke out on the opposite side of the house. Rosalie and Dandy both looked at each other."Oh, yeah, right!" Dora sniffed to herself, before settling her giggles down and clearing her throat. She turned on the sink to finish the dishes.

 

_

 

Gloria had finally arrived home after a few hours, a large, white box in her hands. Rosalie anxiously took it from her while Dandy watched with an enthusiastic grin. 

"You must open it now!" Dandy said before taking her into the dining room.

"I can't wait to go trick-or-treating," Dandy said as Dora and Gloria both came into the room, Dora wearing a costume that resembled a bird, holding a box similar to the one Rosalie had. 

"There is a curfew, Dandy! Nobody is going out tonight, we can have fun here!" Gloria announced. 

Dandy stared at his mother while Dora placed the box on the table. "Curfews are for poor people."

Rosalie awkwardly stood there until Gloria urged them to open the boxes. Rosalie carefully untied the ribbon, while Dandy demolished his, ripping off the top and staring down in silence.

Rosalie pulled the package out and had to laugh at the scary female zombie staring back at her. It even came with fake blood, which would be interesting.

"HOWDY DOODY? HOWDY DOODY!" Dandy screamed after throwing the box to the floor, and then the glass vase sitting on the table was thrown across the room, shattering against the wall. Rosalie jumped, instantly gripping her package tighter as it would protect her. 

"You ungrateful little-" Dora was quick to chime in before Gloria insisted that she would go out, once again, and buy him something different. Rosalie was in shock, the sound of breaking glass was unexpected and loud. 

"There's no time for that, mother!" Dandy yelled, but Gloria insisted and ran off with her purse. Dora gently pushed Rosalie out of the way to approach the man child she had known his entire life.

"Your mother may be afraid of you, but I'm not!" she scolded, glaring at him with pure, genuine hatred in her eyes. 

"Clean this mess up, maid!" Dandy demanded.

"I work for Miss Gloria, not you," she replied, before giving him another look and quietly stepping out of the room. 

Rosalie could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and her hands were shaking terribly, causing the plastic wrap to crinkle. Dandy stared down at the pieces of glass on the wooden floor before turning to look at her. He felt a sudden ping in his chest; it was a feeling that was unfamiliar to him, but at the same time, he understood what it was.

 

 

"You don't have to be scared, Rose. I would never hurt you."


	7. Zombies and Fake Blood.

Rosalie had been sitting in her temporary bedroom away from Dandy for quite a while. She could hear him working on something in his bedroom because every once in a while he would laugh and something would be moved around. Her zombie outfit was sitting on the chair across the room, almost teasing her. Now that the sun was starting to set, she wasn't sure about going out anymore.

Rosalie heard the door across the hall creek open, and then there were boots sticking out from under the door. She stared at them, knowing that it was him. Rosalie sighed, preparing herself to be scared, but he ended up leaving, and she could hear him walking down the steps.

She sighed in relief, before quietly standing up and making her way into the bathroom. The shakes had finally stopped, but now rose the question of how she was supposed to get out of here. Dandy would know she went back to the Freak Show, and if he were that into her, he would find her.

just calm down, we can't make any more irrational decisions than we already have.

Rosalie washed her face and went back into her room, planning on changing into better clothes, only for Dandy to throw the door open, wearing a clown costume and a mask. 

"Why do you always scare me!?" she asked, holding a hand over her heart. Dandy lifted the mask from his head and grinned, "It tickles me... Why aren't you in your costume?" he asked, now frowning.

"I-I wasn't sure what you were doing, so... You look nice, actually," she said. Rosalie could tell that he had ripped apart Howdy Doody to make it, and if she were honest, it wasn't that bad.

"I know, from now on Halloween costumes are up to me, not her!" he asserted, before spotting the unopened bag on the chair. Dandy walked towards it and picked it up, taking one look at the picture before smirking and ripping it open. The packet of fake blood fell onto the floor, and while Rosalie took a few steps closer, Dandy picked it up and said, "How extraordinary... Here, put this on!" he said, handing it to her. 

Rosalie agreed, and Dandy sat on the edge of the bed while she went back into the bathroom. Rosalie stared at herself in the mirror, silently praying for this to be a good night.

The outfit was a white button-up shirt with a few tears and covered in blood and dirt. It came with a black skirt that had attached stockings that were ripped, and after putting everything on, Rosalie really approved of it. The zombie mask stared at her, and it was kind of creepy, but it mainly covered her eyes and left her mouth and nose exposed. She picked it up and gathered her clothes, stepping out of the bathroom to see that Dandy hadn't moved an inch.

He immediately stood up at the sight of her. 

"You look stunning," he said, clutching the small bag in his hand. Rosalie thanked him and put her things down.

"Aren't you going to put this on?" he asked, sloshing the red liquid around.

"Of course," she said, reaching for it. Dandy held it over his head, holding a single finger up in her direction. "Dandy?"

"I want to put it on you," he said.

Rosalie stood in front of him while he peeled off the strip of glue, and he observed her face silently, his eyebrows furrowing. She never noticed that he had beautiful eyes, but was quick to deter herself from thinking of anything else.

Rosalie went ahead and slipped on her mask, which allowed Dandy to smear fake blood on the side of her exposed cheek. It was cold and made her gasp, which he found to be entertaining. She told him to get her mask, as well as the shirt a little bit, so it looked more realistic instead of just the red prints they attempted to make real.

"You're absolutely breath-taking," Dandy moaned, finding himself touching her lengthy, black hair. Rosalie smiled at him, and that's when he held out his hand.   
Rosalie stared at it before placing her hand in his. His grip was tight without hurting her, and Dandy slipped on his mask, leading her down the stairs and out of the house.


	8. Vices and Virtues. (Part One)

Dandy had led her down the same path they had taken the day before. Rosalie found herself occasionally slowing down, becoming nervous as to why she was being brought this way. Dandy noticed her lingering behind and grabbed her arm, "Keep up!"

 

"I thought you wanted to go trick-or-treating?" Rosalie asked, knowing Gloria's words from earlier couldn't have deterred him that much.

 

"I have found better plans to satisfy our evening, any other questions?" Dandy asked, now refusing to release her; they were in a hurry and had no time to waste.

 

Rosalie wanted to give him some much-needed sass but found they had already approached the clearing where Twisty and the kids were staying. She frowned at her choice of words, the children weren't there willingly.

 

Their faces were terrified, now seeing two other people with masks. Dandy led Rosalie over to a stump, having her sit down. "Stay here!"

 

"What are you doing?" she asked. Dandy chuckled and took a seat next to her.

 

"Twisty and I are putting on a show for the kids, it's Halloween,"

 

"Yeah, but don't you think we should help them instead?"Dandy laughed in her face, reaching around her to pat her shoulder. "You make me laugh."

 

Dandy left her side to set up for their 'show.' Rosalie didn't want to go trick-or-treating much at first, but now she would beg to go. Her eyes went towards the kids - now three of them, sitting in the dirty trailer with tied hands and dirty, scared faces.

 

She already knew there was no way in hell she would be able to save all three of them with Dandy and... Twisty there. Dandy himself was strong enough to knock her down a few pegs, and there was no telling what that deranged clown would do to her for letting her kids go.

 

Rosalie could hear a gentle muttering coming from the young girl whose name she never found out. The youngest, a boy who couldn't be older than eleven whispered back, both of them peeking at her from time to time. She did her best to ignore them.

 

Twisty and Dandy had brought out a large wooden box, before placing a saw right on top. Dandy looked excited at their new toy, before sneakily lifting his mask to rub his face, quickly sliding it back on before the kids could catch a glimpse of him.

 

Suddenly, the door flung open and out came the young woman, screaming for help with her arms still tied behind her back. Rosalie stood up, finding that her feet were frozen to the floor; even Dandy was watching, motionless.

 

Twisty quickly ran off after her while the two other kids screamed from the inside. Dandy was quick to come to his senses before running inside, holding a long stick, roughly shoving it in their direction, hitting the oldest boy a few times.

 

why am I here, why am I here?

 

"SHUT UP!" Dandy screamed at them before making his way outside and handing Rosalie the stick. "I'm going to help Twisty, keep them in there!" he said before taking off in the direction of her screams.

 

Rosalie was left alone with the other two, who immediately begged her to let them out. They had hoped that seeing a woman would be their chance of escaping.

 

"Please, just let us out!" the oldest cried.

 

"I want my mommy!" the youngest sobbed, his tears causing his dirty cheeks to become wet and sticky. Rosalie hesitated, trying to think of the consequences on what she was about to do. She quickly dropped the stick and went inside, shushing them and kneeling beside the oldest.

 

"What is your name?" she asked, attempting to distract him while she examined the knot. His struggling had made it so tight that it would be impossible to untie without something sharp.

 

"My name is Ryan, please,"

 

Rosalie looked around, hoping to find something that could help. The other kid attempted to push something her way, and she found it was a piece of wood. His tied hands made it difficult, so he shoved it towards her with his feet. Rosalie grabbed it.

 

"Would that even help?" Ryan asked.

 

"I guess we'll find out," Rosalie whispered, taking the sharpest edge and trying to cut it into the rope. Ryan's hyperventilating seemed to have quieted down, but the chances of them coming back before they were all freed were uncomfortably high.

 

She managed to tear through the thickest parts of the rope, but quick footsteps heading their way caused the three of them to panic. Ryan adjusted his hands to where it seemed he had been untouched, giving Rosalie a look she couldn't recognize.

 

"We will figure this out, just stay calm," she whispered to them before exiting the trailer, dropping the piece of wood on the ground.

 

It was Twisty, carrying the now unconscious girl. He set her down on the ground, before going inside and forcefully bringing the others out one by one, slamming them down onto the dirt.

 

Dandy had yet to return, and Rosalie found she was worried something had happened to him. She eyed Twisty as he poorly attempted to entertain the two boys who were almost sitting on top of each other in fear. The girl seemed to be coming back, her eyes squeezing shut as she moaned in pain.

 

Dandy suddenly appeared, holding two unconscious bodies over his shoulders. Ryan quietly shushed his companion, hoping that keeping quiet would lessen their chances of being killed.

 

"I come bearing gifts," Dandy called, setting down the two newbies he had been carrying. Rosalie didn't recognize the young woman with shoulder length blonde hair, half awake as she tried figuring out what happened.

 

The sight of Jimmy, though, caused her to audibly gasp. Rosalie couldn't see his face, but she knew Dandy was smiling behind the mask.

 

"Let's get this show on the road, shall we?" Dandy asked, before once again lifting up the girl who had been with Jimmy and taking her to the wooden box, putting her inside. Twisty helped him get her situated before they separated and Twisty sat down, leaving Dandy to torment the kids until the other two woke up.

 

Even though she saw Jimmy bludgeon someone to death, along with the others, whatever was about to happen was going to be graver than that.

 

Rosalie just didn't know it yet.


	9. Vices and Virtues. (Part Two)

 

 

Rosalie had to sit with the kids and watch as Jimmy slowly woke up to the sound of the mystery girl screaming bloody murder with a piece of cloth in her mouth. Dandy was now ready to begin the show as Jimmy looked around dazed and confused.

 

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! Creatures of all kids! Children of all ages! You nasty little brats! WELCOME to the greatest show on EARTH! Meet my lovely assistant, Tiny Tits!" Dandy said, bending down to teasingly pat his unwilling assistant's shoulders. She continued to scream, and Rosalie could tell she was trying to say 'help.'

 

"-MR. CLOWN! I've always wondered how this trick was done, haven't you?"

 

Rosalie was sitting next to Ryan, his hands limply falling to the ground behind him. If she had a few more seconds earlier, she could have freed him, and he possibly could have gotten them help. The youngest, whose name she still didn't know, was softly crying next to the girl Rosalie now knows as Bonnie.

 

Jimmy was fighting against his own ties, and Rosalie knew that if he recognized her, she would never be allowed back home. She never wanted this, this wasn't what was supposed to happen. Dandy had already started aggressively sawing into the box, and Rosalie knew that the mystery girl would die if she didn't do anything. Twisty was clapping aggressively, almost laughing an almost inhumane chuckle that sent shivers down her spine. He wasn't paying them any attention, but Dandy definitely was.

 

With all of the screaming and commotion, Rosalie took the chance and reached down with one hand, grabbing the now tangled rope and tugging on it, trying to slip Ryan's hands out of the knot. He attempted to help her out but found the more he moved, the tighter the knot got. Jimmy suddenly broke free, flying forward and striking Dandy in the face.

 

He fell back, almost comically while Jimmy darted forward, trying to free the girl from the box. Twisty ended up lunging at him, grabbing Jimmy and throwing him to the ground while Dandy clumsily stood up.

 

Ryan's hands finally broke free, and he gasped in surprise, turning to give Rosalie a confusing look, before his hand flew up, hitting her right in the nose. She felt intense pain as she fell back, a few droplets of blood spilling out before it became a steady flow. The discomfort was bad enough that for a brief moment, she thinks she lost consciousness.

 

Her hearing was cloudy, but she could definitely hear screaming and the pounding of footsteps as they scattered away. Rosalie's eyes opened, seeing that the mask was now broken in half before a storm of dust was thrown in her face, and she sat up, coughing. It was only her and Twisty now.

 

She sniffled and bunched up her shirt, pressing it to her nose to try and stop the bleeding. Twisty sat with his hands bunched into fists as they lay gently on his knees. He only stared at her.

 

"What?" she snapped, instantly regretting it as her now broken nose caused her pain whenever she spoke. Rosalie suffered broken legs, sprained wrists and ankles from performing, but that pain never amounted to what she currently felt.

 

Twisty only sat there, staring at her. She shakily stood up before wandering off into the trailer, hoping there was something she could use that wasn't her shirt. As she looked, she didn't notice the light, green fog slowly filling the clearing until a cold chill settled over them. She froze in her spot, fearing the worst.

 

"You are not a freak," said a soft voice from behind her. Rosalie gasped quietly, turning to see the face of Edward Mordrake staring at her.

 

"Perhaps not, but I was part of a Freak Show," she whispered, now holding a lightly stained blue towel to her nose. Edward observed her silently, a small glint in his eyes as he seemed to be thinking about something.

 

"You did not perform tonight, neither," he commented.

 

Rosalie slowly shook her head, "N-No sir,"

 

"Huh," Edward said, before floating towards her, his brown eyes turning red as he placed a cold hand to her heart, and then his eyes were closed. He hummed for a few seconds before pulling away, "You are not at all tragic, my darling. Your parents are deceased, no?"

 

"How did you know?" she asked.

 

"I am not entirely simple-minded, my child. I have been summoned here by a freak tonight, where is it?" Edward asked, before finding the answer himself as he turned around to scan the clearing, before spotting Twisty still sitting on a log. Rosalie didn't say a word as Edward gravitated to the clown, and then they seemed to be communicating.

 

Rosalie wondered where in the hell Dandy went; did Jimmy and that girl escape? What about the kids? Ryan punching her in the face was shocking to her. She hoped that having a sense of character would prove that she meant him and the others no harm, but he was so scared that he punched the one trying to save him?

 

Rosalie started to feel light headed, and she slowly took a seat, her hand shaking as the blue rag was no longer its original color. She had no way to get back to the Mott household, she would probably bleed to death if she tried going to the Freak Show.

 

She glanced through the open the door to see a group of people surrounding Edward and Twisty. Edward mumbled a few words before slicing Twisty in the chest, causing him to fall back with a strangled moan. Her eyes widened as he then shoved something into his chest, right through the heart. The people standing around them, all of them freaks, clapped at their newest addition to the family before they started disappearing one by one. Edward was the last to go, meeting her eyes once, winking, and then he was gone.

 

Twisty lay there, dead.

 

Rosalie was now alone in the woods, needing medical attention. She sniffled, feeling her eyes sting and fill with water before collapsing back into the wall. The hand holding the towel slowly slipped from her grasp as she succumbed to sleep.

 

Dandy made his way back to the camp, immediately seeing his dead companion laying on the ground. He stared at him in distaste, angry at how his Halloween had turned out.

 

He knelt down and took the mask from Twisty, before slowly sliding it over his own head. Dandy felt empowered; he could kill anything or anyone without a moment's hesitation. He now had the power. He slipped the mask back off, stuffing it into the only pocket on his costume, his eyes flickering around for Rosalie.

 

"Rose?" he called out. The sound of crickets was the only response he received, much to his dismay. He hadn't noticed one of the stupid kids punched her in the nose, so he wondered if she had run off, too.

 

Dandy took a few steps closer to the trailer, and that's when he saw a stocking covered leg limply resting against the floor. He quickly went to the door, seeing Rosalie's face covered in blood and a towel clenched in her hand.

 

"Rosalie?!" he called, kneeling beside her to shake her shoulder. The blood leaking from her nose had slowed down considerably, but it was definitely far from stopping. Dandy cursed and slipped his arms underneath her, picking her up as if she were weightless, quickly walking off in the direction of his home.

 

Just moments later, Jimmy and Maggie Esmerelda came back, seeing Twisty there. Jimmy had hoped that the other clown and whoever that woman was would still be lingering about, but he knew it would be a stretch.

 

"Do you think those kids got help?" Maggie asked, seeing the tormented look on Jimmy's face.

 

"If we don't hear the sirens soon, we might be getting them ourselves," he replied, before taking a seat. Maggie watched him before silently kneeling beside him, just waiting for someone, anyone.


	10. Dazed and Confused.

Rosalie had awoken sometime later in her bedroom; Dandy and Gloria nervously standing over her. She could feel pressure on her nose, but she was now numb. 

 

"How are you feeling?" an unrecognizable voice asked. Rosalie slowly turned her head to see a middle-aged doctor with a receding hairline smiling down at her."Numb." was all she said. 

 

"Did you know you were anemic?" he then asked, fiddling with an IV supplied with blood. Rosalie didn't even notice the prickling in her arm, glancing down to see a needle in place. 

 

"I've known since I was young," she admitted, glancing up at Dandy, who was pouting. 

 

"Pardon me, I never introduced myself, I'm Dr. Miller," he said, politely extending his hand. Rosalie reached up and took it, and he reassuringly placed his other hand on top of hers. "I am sorry to say that you do in fact have a broken nose. I got one side of the story, would you mind if I heard yours?" Dr. Miller asked, removing his hands to gently touch her cheeks, angling her head so he can observe the splint she was now wearing. 

 

Rosalie's eyes darted to Dandy in fear, and he seemed to nibble on his lip before giving her a nod.

 

"We were trick-or-treating, and I-I think I scared this kid on accident and he punched me," she said.

 

Dandy seemed relieved, and as Mr. Miller nodded, she could almost shout with joy. "You must have been pretty scary last night, then," 

 

_if only you knew_

 

"How long until she is healed, doctor?" Gloria asked as he moved his hands from Rosalie's face, before explaining it was time to remove her IV. 

 

"As long as she is careful and doesn't cause more trauma to her injury, she should be good to go within two weeks," he explained, quickly slipping out her needle and pressing a piece of cotton to her skin. "I will prescribe her medication for the pain, I understand you will be the one changing her bandages?" Dr. Miller asked, this time looking at Dandy. 

 

"Yes, sir," he said, holding his hands behind his back. Rosalie was sad to admit she was surprised that he had some sense of respect for others. 

 

Miller taped her arm before beckoning Dandy over, pulling out a dummy head from his bag and starting to explain how to change the bandages. Gloria came closer and lightly touched Rosalie's head, "Poor darling, your face is all black and blue," 

 

"How bad it is?" she asked.

 

Gloria hesitated before reaching into the drawer beside them and pulling out a hand-held mirror. Rosalie carefully took it and looked at herself. It wasn't as bad as she feared it would be, but it was positively shocking. Her usually pale skin was now black and blue from her nose up to her eyes. It almost looked like someone had colored her entire face with a black marker and then dunked her in some water to finish. Some of the spots had already started to turn a sickly greenish.

 

"Fuck me," she whispered. Gloria's eyebrows shot up, not commenting on the language that just came out of the young ladies mouth. Rosalie carefully handed the mirror back and sat all the way up, wanting to get out of bed. She then realized she was now wearing a nightgown that she most certainly didn't own. The silk itself was more than she could ever afford, and it was more form fitting than what she would like. 

 

"Dora and I changed you, dear. I am sorry if you are uncomfortable in that frock, we can take you shopping for better clothes..." 

 

They were interrupted before Rosalie could respond. Dr. Miller came over and handed them a prescription for pain killers before telling them he will be around in two weeks to check her progress. Dandy was holding an armful of supplies, watching silently. 

 

Rosalie thanked him, and as Gloria went to see him out, she knew it was time to get out of bed before she went crazy. She swung her legs over the side of the bed-

 

"What are you doing?!" Dandy asked, walking forward, dropping everything Dr. Miller had given him.

 

"I'm getting up what does it look like I'm doing?" she asked. Dandy shook his head and started pushing her back down, much to her annoyance.

 

"You're hurt, you need to rest!"

 

"Dandy, my nose is broken, I'm not dying!" she insisted, managing to wiggle out of his grasp and standing up.

 

It was a huge mistake, but she would never admit it out loud.

 

Rosalie instantly became dizzy, and her knees buckled. Dandy went to grab her, almost missing her waist but instead managed to catch her just below her breasts. He lifted her up, almost pressing her to him as he gave her an arrogant smirk. 

 

"What did I tell you?" he asked. "The doctor said you'll have bouts of dizziness for the next week, you should really listen to me!" 

 

Rosalie asked to be set down, mainly out of fear Gloria or Dora would walk in and think something else was going on. Dandy was gentle enough, a look crossing his eyes that seemed genuinely worried. He went to pick up the fallen medical supplies just as Gloria came back, followed closely by Dora who was carrying a tray for tea.

 

"I brought you some tea, Ms. Greene," Dora said, carefully setting the tray down on the table. Rosalie gave her a smile and thanked her, gingerly taking the small cup from her. It was chamomile, she could immediately tell.

 

"Hopefully that will help with some of your discomforts, maybe even calm your nerves a bit," Dora said, before standing up straight and asking if there was anything else she could do. 

 

Gloria immediately piped up, "Could you fetch my best coat, Dora? I must go and get this medicine before whatever he gave her starts to wear off,"

 

Dora nodded silently, not wanting to say she was really asking Rosalie if she wanted anything. Besides, she was the only one that had ever thanked her, and she has been in the family since Dandy was a child.   
  
  


 

The two women left, once again leaving the two young adults alone. Dandy had organized the gauze, tape, and cotton on one of the dressers and seemed rather pleased with his work, even if it was minuscule. Rosalie knew she needed to ask what the hell that was about last night, especially since this was partially his fault that she got hurt. She just didn't want him blowing up in her face.

 

"Were you trying to kill that girl yesterday?" She asked him. There were many alternatives she could have used, but for whatever reason, that is the one she decided to go with.

 

Dandy stared at her, his head tilting as if he were actually looking down on her. He felt high and mighty with that mask, but after the fact, he had felt pretty bad about what happened to Rosalie the night before. If anything someone else was meant to get hurt, not her. Or even him for that matter.

 

"I don't quite think I could have," he answered. Rosalie frowned at him; that could mean anything.

 

"You don't think you could have or you don't think you would have?" She pressed on, starting to see that familiar mischievous glint in his eyes.

 

"Do you like mysteries, Rose?" He asked, smiling.

 

"Y-What?" She laughed in disbelief, was he really trying to change the subject?

 

"Do. You. Like. Mysteries?" He asked again, this time saying the words as if he were talking to his infant child.

 

Rosalie glared at him, "I guess? What does that have to do with anything?"

 

Dandy grinned, "Good! Me too! Let's have one on our own, shall we?" He kept the grin on his face as he turned to leave, pausing in the doorway for a quick second. "I'll have Dora bring you up some music, I'd imagine it would get lonely up here, how about that?"

 

"Y-Yes?"

 

"Good, get some rest, Rosalie," he said before the door quietly clicked shut.  
  
  
  


 


	11. Gloria.

The next few days passed rather uneventful. Rosalie's nose remained numb with the medication given to her, and Dandy changed her bandages daily ever since Doctor Miller left. After the first two days, they finally allowed her to roam freely, the effects of the blood loss, and her anemia seemed to have gotten under control. 

 

Dandy took her for a walk outside while Dora prepared their dinner. Gloria was out in the garden, tending to her flowers, keeping an eye on her son and their guest who was walking around the property with their arms linked.   
  


"There is a stupid ball my family throws every Thanksgiving," Dandy said, his voice so uninterested that Rosalie could feel the bitterness coming from him. "My mother always tries to connect me with women, all of them are heifers, I hate them."  
  


Rosalie frowned and looked up at him, "You're old enough to find your own women," she said. Dandy nodded, his eyes following the back of Gloria's head as she strained to hear what they were talking about. He scoffed at her disposition to eavesdrop.   
  


"Of course I am, nobody has ever titillated me enough to want them in any form, maybe except for one person." He said, finding that his eyes refused to leave his mothers form kneeling over her garden of begonias. "My mother would never approve of it."  
  


Rosalie fought the urge to snicker, her own eyes following their feet as they walked in a big square. "Your mother's opinion is that important to you?" she asked.  
  


Dandy paused them, his hand slipping from her arm that he was holding onto rather tightly to prevent them from separating. It was a peculiar situation; Dandy always had his way of doing things and what he wanted to be done. His mother regularly showered him with gifts and the most extraordinary things in life, but never fully understood what his heart intended to do.

 

Rosalie felt herself becoming frightened that she made him angry, and once again, she realized that she temporarily had forgotten what this man was truly capable of. It came like clockwork; once an hour they had long, delightful conversations about the latest plays, and suddenly he was flipping shit at Dora for making his tea too bitter. She became comfortable with him until his temper flipped like a switch, and that was when she remembered how dangerous Dandy could be.

 

"I never thought of it that way," Dandy whispered to her. "I don't need her approval, I can do whatever I want."

"That's what most twenty-five-year-olds do." she laughed a little. Dandy resumed his firm grip on her arm, and they continued walking. Rosalie wasn't aware of it, but she had given Dandy a whole new surge of confidence.

 

They walked the entire length of the driveway before coming full circle, where they were now facing Gloria as she smiled, her clothes fresh and holding out a white envelope to Rosalie.

 

"What is this?" Rosalie asked, carefully reaching forward for the envelope. Gloria had a gleam in her eye as she urged Rosalie to open it, Dandy watching excitedly, as well.

 

The flap had been tucked in, and as she opened it up, she saw a rather large wad of cash staring at her. Rosalie was shocked as she thumbed through it and saw there had to at least be a thousand in her hand.

 

"W-what is this for?"

 

"New clothes, dear," Gloria smiled, "We can't have you wearing what little you've packed every day, Dandy will take you out the moment you're finished with your walk."

 

Rosalie laughed, shaking her head, "Gloria this is too much-"

 

"Nonsense! Dandy would agree with me, wouldn't you darling?"

 

"You deserve it, Rose, don't be stupid," Dandy said, his voice almost becoming childlike. "Especially if you're going to be my date to the ball."

 

"Your what?" Rosalie looked at him. He had just told her he found the women his mother attempted to set him up with were unattractive, and now she is going to be his date?

 

Gloria looked surprised herself, "What are you talking about, Dandy?"

 

"I want Rose to be my date to the ball, not those stupid cows you try to set me up with, mother!" Dandy said, standing tall and proud as Rosalie looked at both of them in confusion. "I can make my own decisions."

 

Gloria looked as if she wanted to argue, probably slightly ashamed that the woman Dandy would be seen with wasn't born from wealth and had nothing to offer him. Gloria had always been friendly, Rosalie couldn't deny that. But she could recognize that look anywhere.

 

"... Do you not want to go with me?" Dandy asked.

 

Rosalie didn't answer straight away, but as she thought about it, she found that she wouldn't mind at all.

 

"OH, that's alright!" Gloria said, another blinding smile coming across her face that Rosalie did find to be insulting.

 

"I would love to go with you, Dandy," Rosalie said, unsure if she was fully committed to the idea of going with him for herself, or if part of it was just to spite Gloria. 

 

Rosalie knew she was broke, she wasn't hiding millions of dollars in a trust fund somewhere. Her wealth didn't define herself as a person, as a woman.   
  


His smile was the biggest she had ever seen, and it made her feel good. Gloria stepped away as Dandy all but ran to the car sitting in front of the stairs, Rosalie clutching the money in her hands as if it were life and death. They climbed into the car, Rosalie nervously buckling herself in, wondering where he was going to take her.

 

**_**

 

They drove into town within the next half hour, parking next to a store that looked like it had just been built. The few people who had been coming in and out were dressed lavishly and carried out bag after bag. Rosalie looked down at her battered skirt and blouse, already feeling like an outsider more than she did just being in the Mott household.

 

"Why do you look so depressed?" Dandy asked, unbuckling himself and staring at her with a cocked eyebrow. His green eyes stared deep into hers, a slight twitch to his lip taking her attention away from him.

 

"I just feel bad, this is a lot of money, Dandy. It will take me years to pay this all back." Rosalie said, before instantly shutting up when Dandy started to laugh at her, a full-on belly chortle.

 

"This isn't a loan, crazy girl! We- _I_  don't expect any repayment. The Mott family is beyond wealthy, I can spend way beyond this if I wanted to," he said, holding up the envelope Rosalie didn't realize was taken from her lap. "If you want to play the part I want to help."

 


	12. Paradise.

Rosalie walked down the aisle of dresses, running her fingers over every single one. There was a lot of silk, and it seemed that Dandy had a preference, because every dress he showed her was a knee-length swing dress. They had picked out a few, red, black, navy blue. Rosalie found a yellow strapless she liked, and Dandy was particularly happy about this because he tended to dress in flamboyant colors.

 

"Are these exorbitant enough for a dance?" Rosalie asked him after they spent a few hours shopping, watching as the cashier rang out garment after garment. She watched as the price crept up to an uncomfortable rate, but Dandy just stood there without a care in the world.

 

"Your total is nine-hundred and fifty dollars," the woman said kindly, already holding out her hand. Dandy handed her a wad of cash, sighing in delight when he received his change and they were now tasked with carrying bags back to the car.

 

Rosalie felt as if she would pass out from the price, and as she reached out to help gather everything, the lady at the counter giggled at her. "There's no need for that ma'am, we have men to help with that," she said just as two employees came up and took everything, following Dandy out to the car.

 

Rosalie gave her a sheepish smile before following after the trio, standing next to the car while everything was packed away.

 

"We'll have to make one more stop for your dress," Dandy said to her, and she nodded. They climbed into the car, Rosalie still reeling over how much she just spent on somebody else's money.

 

Dandy drove them farther out than she had ever been, and before she knew it, they were driving through Tequesta, just north of Jupiter. Rosalie looked at all of the small business in the town square, inhaling the sweet smell of fresh caramel and salt water taffy. There was a candy store right on the corner, and she thought of the small stash of money hidden in her suitcase from Gloria.

 

They made an abrupt left turn, pulling into an empty parking lot. There weren't many cars on this street; most people were enjoying the cooler weather by walking. Dandy climbed out, beckoning her to follow him.

 

Dandy hooked his arm through hers, nearly squishing her into his side as they trekked down the sidewalk. Rosalie felt self-conscious as they went along, though nobody seemed to be paying them any particular mind, and she felt ashamed knowing that she was the most normal looking of the Freaks, save for Jimmy and Elsa.

 

Anyone looking at her wouldn't care or know she was just abnormally bendy.

 

"I think Dior would suit you just fine!" Dandy said as they stopped in front of a store that looked more upscale than the one they were just at. Rosalie could feel her heart fall in her stomach.

 

"I-I can just wear something from earlier, this is very kind of you, Dandy-"

 

"I hope you are not about to have me repeat myself," Dandy said slowly as if he were trying to keep his temper under control. 

"Rosalie, I don't understand your upbringing, I've been in wealth my entire life. But if you don't stop complaining, I will not be able to control myself, and neither of us wants that."

 

Rosalie stared ahead with wide eyes, realizing that even though Dandy was childish, self-absorbed, and even a little prude at times, something was stirring in him that made him want to be a slightly better person. She wasn't sure why he only acted this way with her, he never had problems insulting his mother, or Dora, but there wasn't anything special about her that warranted this treatment.

 

"Now, can I buy you what I want to buy you, or do we have to leave?"

 

Rosalie shook her head, "No, we can go inside."

 

Dandy gave her a broad smile, "I'm glad you finally see things my way."

 

They walked inside, still latched onto each other. At the register, a tall, lanky man in his sixties looked towards them as the small bell at the top of the door alerted him to their arrival. He grew excited at the sight of Dandy; his eyes were glimmering.

 

"Mr. Mott! How are you on this wonderful evening?" he said, almost hopping across the counter to approach them, reaching out to shake Dandy's hand. Dandy reciprocated, and they shook hands for what seemed like a minute too long.

 

"I'm doing well, thank you," he answered, looking down at Rosalie's head. "I'm here with a special friend of mine, she needs a dress for a dance, and I need the best there is."

 

The mystery man clapped his hands, looking Rosalie up and down with wonder. He seemed to pay special attention to her brown eyes and her clothing. "You look like a size four!"

 

Rosalie smiled, agreeing with him. The only reason she knew this was because she had to be measured earlier.

 

"Excellent. My name is Mr. Jameson. I assume you will be her date, Mr. Mott?"

 

"You are correct," Dandy said, sighing dreamily. Rosalie felt him squeeze her, and it was one of the first times she felt rather special. "It will be an unfortunate mishap if you two did not match, are you looking for a new suit, sir?"

 

Dandy pondered for a moment before agreeing. Mr. Jameson nodded before asking them what they were looking for as he led them to the back of the store. Rosalie had never seen a Dior dress in her life and had no idea where to start.

 

They looked for Dandy first, mainly because he knew his style well and didn't take nearly as long. They decided on the color red, giving them more of a selection since the color was currently "in season." Rosalie sat quietly as he tried on tuxedo after tuxedo, before finally settling on a bright red tux that was adorned with black buttons that hugged his muscular arms. The button up he picked out was blood red, and the color contrast worked rather nicely. It was a change from his usual attire that had often had stripes of some sort.

 

Dandy followed another employee to the register to package his new suit, and that's when Jameson led Rosalie over to the dresses. She resisted the urge to touch them as they all were proudly displayed on mannequins.

 

"I think we should go for a long-sleeved, full skirt dress, perhaps lace," he explained as they walked past another woman being fitted. She stared straight ahead, unmoving and paying them no attention.

 

"I don't want to be difficult, but could we find shoes to match? I don't think my sneakers will do very well at a ball," she said shyly, causing him to chuckle and assure her that it is no problem.

 

Mr. Jameson stopped them at a mannequin; the dress was long; the red would match perfectly with Dandy's jacket. Jameson encouraged her to feel the velvet texture of the skirt, but the red lace that would cover her breasts and arms was what really drew her in.

 

"Would you like to try it on?"

 

"I would love that!" Rosalie said, knowing this was the first time she had ever been in love with an article of clothing.

 

He beckoned one of the girls to follow as they took it from the mannequin, leading her into a private room where they let her strip down to her undergarments. Rosalie awkwardly stood there while they gathered around, helping her wiggle into the dress. They pulled it up slowly as not to rip the lace, holding it by the wrap just around her waist that held everything together.

 

Rosalie made small talk with Natalie, one of the only girls who attempted to make conversation. She held up Rosalie's hair as Jameson tied the knot just behind her shoulders, leaving part of her back exposed.

 

"She will be right out, Mr. Mott," she heard someone say from behind the curtain, and Rosalie suddenly became nervous. As she looked herself in the mirror, Natalie let her lengthy, black hair fall around her shoulders. This was the most elegant Rosalie had ever been, and she was in love. The bandages around her nose weren't enough to distract from the elegant beauty of the dress.  
  


"We have found you some red heels, they are not too long and will be hidden under the dress," Jameson said, holding them out to her. Rosalie nodded and allowed them to slip them on her feet.

 

"Why do you look so nervous, dear?" he asked once they were ready to show Dandy.

 

"I'm afraid he won't like it..." she whispered.

 

"We will let him decide that," Jameson said, helping her step down from the platform. He held onto her as Natalie moved the curtains out of the way, revealing Dandy as he sat with his head in his hands. He perked up at the sight of them and stood up, his mouth almost falling open as they approached.

 

"It's a Gothic styled red with the softest lace one could ever find!" Jameson said, adjusting the skirt for Rosalie. "It will go lovely with your tuxedo, Mr. Mott-"

 

"-We'll take it," Dandy said, already handing out another wad of cash. Rosalie didn't even know how much this dress cost; her arrogance at the time kept her from asking, and now she is anxious.

 

"Absolutely fabulous! Natalie, darling help Mrs. Mott get out of her dress!"

 

Rosalie made a weird noise, putting her hand over her mouth as if she were fighting a cough.

 

_MRS. MOTT?_

 

"Of course, sir," Natalie said, holding the curtains open to allow Rosalie to step out. She carefully wiggled out of the dress and watched as they packed it away in a black bag, eventually handing it to her while Dandy carried his suit and her new heels.

 

Mr. Jameson told them to come again, watching as they filed out the door and disappeared from sight.

 

"Are you happy now?" Rosalie asked, looking up at Dandy as they crossed the street.

 

"I am absolutely thrilled, Rose!" he said, his smile brighter than the sun. "Rosalie  _Mott_ , that sounds wonderful, doesn't it?"

 

Rosalie laughed at him and was thankful when he had giggled, too. They gently laid her dress out in the trunk, putting his suit and her shoes in the backseat. They sat in silence for just a few seconds when Dandy said, "I'm getting hungry, let's find something to eat."

 


	13. His Acrobat.

Rosalie was shaken awake early the next morning by Dandy, his grip tight on her shoulder.

 

"Rose! Rose!"

 

"What?" she asked, lifting her head and gazing at him with a furrowed brow. Dandy looked excited as she slowly sat up, looking confused as the clock barely read four in the morning.

 

"I have something to show you," he whispered, his dark hair falling in front of his face. Rosalie had never seen Dandy without his hair slicked back or neatly parted down the middle. This made him appear more boyish, and she thought he looked cute.

 

Rosalie climbed out of bed, standing close to Dandy as he wrapped his red silk robe tighter around his waist. He nodded for her to follow, and she did, quietly creeping down the steps. Dandy led her towards a part of the house she wasn't all too familiar with.

 

"Where are we going?" she asked him. Dandy shushed her and opened the last door on the right, taking her arm and pushing her inside.

 

The room was pitch dark, and Rosalie felt the wall for the switch, but couldn't find it. Dandy flipped on the light from the opposite wall, making her feel slightly embarrassed. Rosalie's eyes adjusted and she looked up to see two black ropes hanging from the ceiling, much like the ones she would use for the Freak Show.

 

Dandy stood proudly as Rosalie walked to them and touched them. He had set them up himself, hoping that if she felt at home here, she should want to stay. Rosalie gently tugged on them, and they were tight and secure like they needed to be.

 

"I asked for the best ones. I hope they're to your satisfaction," Dandy said, smiling brightly at the back of her head.

 

"They're fantastic, Dandy," she said, wanting to explain to him that he didn't need to do this but has since learned her lesson from the past few days. "I love them."

 

She had been out of practice for a few days and knew she couldn't try them out in regular clothes. She had a few leotards upstairs that she had packed away, but it was too early, and Rosalie was still tired.

 

"You should perform for me later!" Dandy said, finally getting her to turn around and look at him. Her brown eyes sparkled from her new gift, and Dandy knew he had himself to thank.

 

"It's the least I could do," she smiled at him before releasing the ropes. "Thank you, Dandy... I'm actually going to get some more sleep, you should too,"

 

Dandy nodded, and they left, Dandy closed the door and followed her as she walked back to the front of the house and up the staircase. His room was right across from hers, and he paused with his door open, looking back just as she slowly clicked hers shut.

 

**-**

 

A few hours later Rosalie changed into her black leotard, putting her long hair up in a bun as Dandy waited on her bed, shifting around in nervous excitement. Rosalie opened her bathroom door and stepped out, shutting off the light. Dandy quickly stood up and smiled at her.

"You look amazing," Dandy sighed, pausing mid-sentence to find the right words to describe her. Rosalie smiled, and they walked downstairs, passing the dining room where Gloria was having her tea-time.

 

She watched them go, taking dainty sips from her mug as she did so. Gloria liked Rosalie, that was for sure. She just felt that there were plenty of other women that her Dandy could find any sort of happiness in, ones with better means, ones that would help protect the family wealth.

 

"Dora?" Gloria called quietly, looking up as Dora made her way into the dining room, looking expectant.

 

"Yes, Ms. Gloria?"

 

"I need you to make some calls for me, try to figure out how we can contact that Freak Show," Gloria said as she pulled out a box of cigarettes from her gown.

 

"May I ask why, Gloria?"

 

"I would like to return her back to where she belongs," Gloria said, "She can come around for the ball in a few weeks, but I don't want her around my son all of the time,"

 

Dora slowly nodded, walking back to the kitchen with the intent on finding the phonebook. She knew that Dandy was going to be upset, and she will bear the brunt of his temper.

 

"Lord Jesus, protect us all," she mumbled as she bent down and took the thick book from the shelves beneath the counter.

 

Rosalie had already climbed up the ropes, quick thinking in her head what she could do that would impress him, or at least give him something he hadn't seen at her performances. Dandy was watching with childlike curiosity as she slipped herself through the metal ring that came with the ropes, sitting there with her chin resting on top of it.

 

"It feels like it's been forever," Rosalie sighed.

 

Dandy smiled a little, waiting somewhat patiently as she thought over what to do. Rosalie carefully slid herself through the ring, gripping onto the rope beside her and hooking her feet around the rim, allowing her body to hang there, slowly spinning.

 

"Doesn't that hurt?" Dandy asked, standing up with his mouth hanging open.

 

"It does after you say that," Rosalie laughed, pulling the rope tight and slipping her feet from the rim, bringing her legs up over her head and keeping herself steady as she held a firm grip and allowed her body to right itself. "I concentrate so much that it is blocked out."

 

"How exquisite," he breathed, before asking her to do things he wanted to see. Rosalie complied, twisting herself in ways she knew she could handle, and politely declining when something sounded too hard, or dangerous.

 

They had to be there for about an hour when Rosalie's arms started getting tired. She did a final pose for him before beginning to slowly come down the ropes. She hit the pad below her harder than she expected and felt a slight twinge in her nose from the impact.

 

"Are you alright?" Dandy asked, jumping up from his chair to kneel beside her. Rosalie laughed a little, nodding as he helped her up.

 

"I'm fine, I just haven't felt any pain in so long," she said as she adjusted her outfit that had awkwardly slipped out of place after her fall.

 

Dandy nodded, and he looked at the skin around her eyes that had finally started to gain back some normal color. It has been a week since Halloween, and hopefully, by next, she would be bandage free.

 

"-Dandy?"

 

"What did you say?" Dandy asked, coming back to reality, not having an idea that he had spaced out.

 

"I asked if you wanted to go on a walk with me," she smiled, "At least before it rains."

 

Dandy nodded, and she left to change into something comfortable. Dandy touched the ropes that she had just occupied, and he could faintly smell her perfume that was already becoming a permanent part of him.


	14. Destroyed.

They were sat down at the table, eating their light lunch when there was a knock at the door.

 

"I'll get it!" Gloria insisted, standing up and waving off Dora who had already started heading towards the foyer. Dandy chewed his food and watched her go with his eyes before they veered towards Rosalie who didn't seem to notice, stirring around the pieces of gnocchi in her bowl. Dandy smiled and resumed eating, tuning into the sound of his mother's voice, welcoming their visitor.

 

"She is right this way, yes," Gloria whispered.

 

Dandy placed his spoon into his bowl and straightened up, his eyes darting from Dora who was standing nervously by the door. Rosalie had finished her soup and was gently patting her mouth with a napkin. She remained oblivious as Jimmy Darling slowly walked in, his eyes settling on her immediately.

 

"Rosalie?" He asked.

 

Rose froze at the sound of his voice, her hand pausing mid-air as she looked to him. Jimmy was wearing his leather jacket and dark jeans, looking at her with a mixture of hope and relief.

 

"Jimmy?" She asked in disbelief, finally dropping her hands, allowing her napkin to lay in a heap on the table. Dandy had his clenched hands resting on the table, feeling like he could break it in half with the knowledge of what his mother was doing.

 

Jimmy observed the three of them around the room with different facial expressions. He couldn't see the face of Dandy as he was sitting at the end of the table. His posture, however, told him a different story.

 

"What are you doing here?" Rosalie asked first, standing up, wearing one of the dresses Dandy had just bought her. It was a strapless yellow dress with white polka dots, and it was very comfortable. Jimmy looked at her new attire and found himself frowning.

 

"She called and told me you were here," Jimmy said, gesturing towards Gloria who was once stone-faced, now watching her son holding his anger.

 

"Mother?" Dandy called as he rose from his chair, turning to look at her with distaste. "May I have a word in private?" He asked, looking towards Rosalie who had a confused expression on her face.

 

Gloria nodded silently, following Dandy outside. Dora had disappeared and was now hiding in the kitchen.

 

"Why didn't you call?" Jimmy asked as he finally came closer, yet keeping a safe distance from her. Rosalie looked down at the table and didn't say anything.

 

"I've-we've been looking for you, they're all worried back home, Ma Petite misses you, Pepper misses you... I miss you." Jimmy finished, feeling as if he should tell her that Meep was dead, but he needed to wait.

 

"I saw you guys kill that cop," she whispered, looking up at him with watery brown eyes. "What was that?"

 

"He thought one of us was kidnapping those kids, he was going to bring the entire department down on us, and we would be nothing, what do you think will happen when they bring a bunch of freaks to the station?" Jimmy asked, flinching at his own use of the word freaks. He detested it to the highest degree, but he needed to get his point across.

 

"Is it not enough to be honest anymore?" Rosalie said as she began to pace, "You just kill him to make it easier? You can't tell me they haven't come to look for him!"

 

Jimmy glared at her, "No amount of honesty would keep those assholes away from us! We found the guy who kidnapped those kids, they found him dead in the woods on Halloween!"

 

Rosalie paled at the mention of Halloween night, wondering if he had recognized her.

 

".. Rosalie, what happened to your face?" He asked frantically, now closing the space between them to cup her cheek. Rosalie was now wearing a single bandage across her nose, and most of the color had come back, despite around her eyes that remained dark. She was surprised he was just now noticing, Jimmy was usually very observant.

 

"I got hit on accident, I'm fine, Jimmy." She said as he observed her healing nose. Jimmy's eyes darkened.

 

"It wasn't Dandy, was it?" He whispered. Rosalie stared him straight in the eyes, wanting to yell at him for even thinking Dandy would lay a hand on her.

 

"Of course not!" She said defensively, gently maneuvering her head from his grasp. "Believe it or not, I have been treated well here, Dandy was the one who changed my bandages and made sure everything was okay!" She exclaimed.

 

"You need to come home, this isn't your family, your family is at the Freak Show, it's with me," Jimmy said, hoping the thought of everyone would sway her decision to leave with him.

 

They stopped talking when the front door opened, and Dandy came stomping into the room again. He observed how close Jimmy was standing to Rosalie and took a deep breath, his usually sleek hair now a messy slop on his head.

 

"My mother may have called on her own volition, but Rosalie wasn't informed that you would be making an appearance today," Dandy began, his voice sounding childlike, "If she wants to leave she can leave, but I declare that would be a big mistake."

 

Jimmy turned his attention to Dandy, giving him a look of disgust. "Is that a threat?" He demanded. Rosalie watched them with wide eyes.

 

"I'm simply stating that my mother had no right to contact you without Rose's permission, and I will stand by her if she decides to stay with me, but if she decides to leave," Dandy took another deep breath, "Then that is another story."

 

Though he sounded confident, Rosalie knew Dandy enough by now that he was scared. These past few weeks have been weird, but she found a good friend in Dandy, and she would be stupid to deny that she had developed feelings for him, even if they were small.

 

Gloria finally made an entrance, standing tall as she held her clasped hands in front of her. "I ask that Rosalie leave, she has been a wonderful houseguest, but as long as I am in this house, she has overstayed her welcome with us," Gloria stated, refusing to meet Rosalie's eyes as she stared at her in hurt.

 

"If I overstayed my welcome then why did you drop all of that money to get me new clothes?" Rosalie asked, taking a few steps past Jimmy, who only stared at the matriarch with hate. "Was it a false sense of security you wanted to give me before tossing me on my ass?"

 

Gloria finally looked at her, and they stared each other up and down.

 

"Mother, I demand that you allow her to stay! I have allowed you to deny my dreams again and again, but I cannot let you ruin my life anymore!" Dandy yelled as Jimmy grew more uncomfortable being in the position he was in.

 

"Rosalie leaves now, or I will ban her from this house permanently!" Gloria yelled, instantly hushing Dandy. "I am allowing her to come back for the ball, but my word is final! I want you gone within an hour, take with you what you want, whatever can fit in that abysmal suitcase you brought with you." Gloria said before walking out.

 

Both Rosalie and Dandy were frozen in their place, while Jimmy realized that this was not what he signed up for. Gloria said that she would like him to convince Rosalie to come home, not that she was getting kicked out. He looked troubled as Dandy glared at him from across the room.

 

"I guess I have to pack," Rosalie said softly, before quietly leaving the room and heading up the steps. Dandy watched her walk by, his gaze softening for a brief moment when he saw her."Your mother was very different on the phone..." was all Jimmy said.

 

**-**

 

Rosalie still couldn't figure out what was happening.

 

She packed some of the least expensive dresses, not wanting to ruin the higher priced ones once she returned to the Freak Show. She dug out the clothes she had worn here the first day out of the drawers, placing them on top of everything before closing her old suitcase.

 

Gloria's sudden change of heart was disconcerting to her. She was always nice and motherly to her until she saw how close she had gotten with Dandy. Rosalie knew all along it was because of the family wealth, and she knew no matter how hard she worked, she would never amount to Dandy's level.

 

There was a quiet knock on her door as she wiped away a fallen tear. Rosalie assumed it was one of the boys and gathered herself before announcing it was open.

 

It was Dora.

 

"Is there anything I can do for you, Ms. Greene?" Dora asked as she slowly made her way into the room. "If I won't be seeing you until Thanksgiving, the least I could do is ask,"

 

Rosalie shook her head. Dora nodded and looked at her sympathetically, but couldn't understand why Rosalie would want to stay here, to stay with Dandy of all people.

 

"Did you know she was going to kick me out?" Rosalie asked. Dora's silence was enough, "I can't be mad at you for doing your job?!" Rosalie laughed without humor.

 

"Ms. Greene, you have been the most polite and beautiful hearted woman I have ever served, and I have been doing this longer than you have been alive," she said, coming forward to place an arm around her. Rosalie smiled through her tears. "I am sorry to see you go, but I must abide by Gloria's rules, my daughter depends on my allowance, and I cannot stress how important it is to her education."

 

"I understand," Rosalie sniffed, "Thank you for everything you've done,"

 

Dora nodded and gave her a hug before walking with her down the steps. The devastation was evident on her face as the boys stood in the foyer, both looking solemn for different reasons. Dandy still had anger deep in his chest but masked it as not to cause Rosalie any harm. Jimmy politely took her suitcase from her and went to mount it on his bike.

 

Gloria was in the sitting room, smoking a cigarette as she watched her son. Dora went to clear the dishes from the table, leaving them alone, despite Gloria occasionally giving them a watchful eye.

 

"I'm sorry," Rosalie choked. Dandy had a good few inches on her, and he nodded, looking down at the top of her head.

 

"I will fight for you, Rose," Dandy whispered to her. "You are my last chance of happiness, I will not stop until you are back here with me, I promise!" He said, his voice becoming louder once Gloria started making her way to them.

 

Her heels clicked along the floor, alerting them to her presence and Dandy swooped down, pressing a gentle kiss to Rosalie's lips. Her breath got stuck in her throat, and it only lasted a minute before they were violently flung from each other.

 

"OUT!" Gloria said, her usually whimsical voice now cold and hoarse. "OUT! BEFORE I CALL THE POLICE!"

 

Rosalie ran down the steps outside, her flats keeping her supported as she stepped through the muddy grass and to Jimmy who heard the commotion.

 

"Did she touch you!?" Jimmy asked, at the sight of her tear-stained cheeks and slightly puffy lips."Just go, I'm fine," Rosalie lied as they mounted the bike, Rosalie doing her best to get comfortable while wearing her dress. She clung to Jimmy as he started the bike, and they drove down the street, leaving the Mott family behind.

 


	15. Welcome Home.

Rosalie slowly followed behind Jimmy once they had arrived home. It had been a few weeks since she had seen anybody, now it felt that she was about to walk and meet a bunch of strangers. She was dragging her suitcase in the damp grass below, listening as it occasionally hit a rock or dipped into an indent in the ground. As long as her clothes remained safe and clean inside, Rosalie didn't care if the case got beat up.

She realized Jimmy had brought her to her trailer, her name painted in red letters on the siding, and the paint was new.

"We cleaned it up for you... In case you decided to come home, you know," Jimmy said. Rosalie nodded, and he followed her inside.

Everything was squeaky clean; fresh sheets, everything had been dusted, the carpet was swept, and it smelled clean. Rosalie set her things down and ran a hand along her bed, already remembering the feeling of waking up with a sore back.

"It looks nice, thank you," Rosalie said. Jimmy was standing with his hands in his pockets, nodding with a slight smile.

"Everybody is excited to see you, do you want to go now or do you want to rest?" Jimmy asked.

"I would like to rest for a little bit, it's been a rough afternoon, at least for me," Rosalie whispered. Jimmy nodded and said he would check on her in a few hours, before leaving and quietly closing the door behind him.

Rosalie sat down on the side of her bed and stared at the door, wishing that Dandy's room was still on the opposite side. She had grown accustomed to having him knock on her door after he was done taking a nap, or startling her out of her wits when he barged in when one of his imaginative ideas were so exciting that he had to tell someone. She laid back and placed her hands on her stomach, feeling the uncomfortable twist and pull of nausea creeping up on her.

Thanksgiving was less than two weeks away, she could do this.

And what about after? When you won't be able to see him again?

Rosalie sighed and grabbed the fluffiest pillow she had before setting it over her face and screaming.

-

Dandy was taking his pent up anger out on the small punching bag in his room, imagining it was the head of that Jimmy Darling.

The anger he had for his mother, however, was unmatched.

He spent years despising his mother; she was never there for him as a child, she had better things to do than care for the boy Gloria had brought into this world so selfishly when she married her second cousin and decided to procreate. His angry punches became violent as he hit the bag so hard that his arms began to ache.

"I HATE HER!" Dandy yelled as he gave one last punch, nearly losing his balance at the hard shove he gave. He stepped away from the corner and sat on the couch in the middle of the room, running a hand through his dark hair.

Gloria had heard the commotion from downstairs and lingered outside of his door, raising a hand to gently knock. Dandy perked his ears up at the sound, standing up in his underwear. "WHAT?" he called.

"Dandy, may I come in?" she asked from the other side.

"No!" he said, his eyes glancing towards the white tub sitting just a few feet away. "I'm indecent," he said, walking over and turning on the knob for the hot water. Gloria stood quietly, listening to the water splashing around in the bottom of the tub and decided to believe him.

"I will come back later, we have to talk, Dandy!" she requested, before quietly walking away and back down the steps.   
Dandy figured that he might as well take a bath, plugging the tub before stepping inside. The water was almost too hot to handle, but he stayed seated, enjoying the pain as it numbed what he was feeling in his heart.

-

Rosalie managed to take a nap before she slipped on her shoes, peeking her head out from her trailer door to see there was nobody in sight. She stepped out into the grass and started making her way to the big top, hoping that if anything, Ma Petite would be waiting, or Eve, or Pepper. Except for Jimmy, those were the ones she was closest to, they were good company.

She walked inside to see a long table set where the audience is usually seated during the show. Eve was laying out plates while Pepper carefully placed pieces of silverware on the napkins, doing her best to make everything perfect with her shaky hands. It was just the three of them.

Eve glanced over at the sound of gentle footsteps and her red-stained lips curved into a relieved smile. She instantly dropped the last plate she was holding, wandering over with her arms, outstretched, "Rosalie, you're back!"

Rosalie smiled and wrapped her arms around Eve's much taller frame. Their embrace was tight and comforting, just like it had always been. They pulled away when Pepper started tugging on Eve's light coat, wanting in on the action. Rosalie gave her a hug, laughing a little when Pepper smiled the biggest she had ever seen.

"How does it feel to be back?" Eve asked, smiling as she crossed her arms over her chest. Pepper went back to the table, her nose almost touching the plain white tablecloth as she continued setting the table.

"It's a little weird, it feels like a lot has changed..." Rosalie whispered. Eve nodded and beckoned for her to follow. Rosalie watched as they finished setting the table, listening as Eve explained they had three new acts, Desiree, Dell, and Maggie, all who showed up not too long after she ran off.

"Desiree is a gem, but I can't say the same about that Dell, though," Eve said as they finished by putting a fresh bouquet of flowers at the center of the table. Rosalie smiled at their beautiful handiwork. "He seems like an angry man, and that Maggie, I don't know her well enough to have an opinion," Eve said, before asking Pepper to inform the others that they were finished.

When they were alone, Eve sat down next to Rosalie, "Jimmy said you were staying with the Mott family," she said slowly.

"I wasn't planning on it, Gloria Mott found me and offered me some money to keep her son company, and I accepted..." she frowned, "I just ended up staying longer than intended,"

"He's not the one who broke your nose?" Eve asked, before gesturing to the small bandage on her nose. Rosalie told her the same thing she described to the doctor, and Eve didn't seem to question it much after that.

"We were all worried about you when Jimmy got the call saying you wanted to come home, we all thought you'd be in worst condition than you are!" Eve laughed a little, "It seems that you have been well taken care of though."

Rosalie smiled and nodded, though there was something off in her eyes, Eve didn't elaborate. The sound of footsteps approached from behind, and suddenly, there were cheers and laughter as everybody filed in carrying pots and plates of food. Rosalie stood up as she saw Jimmy, Pepper, Suzi, Ethel, and the newcomers as they came in to assist.

There was a lot of hugging and laughter before they all settled down in the seats, Jimmy introducing her to the newbies, and her eyes widened slightly at the sight of Maggie, the girl who Dandy almost sawed in half on Halloween night. Her hair was pulled back today, and her eyes seemed to have darkened at the sight of Rosalie. They almost had a staredown before the arrival of Bette, Dot, and Elsa caused them to break eye contact.

Rosalie stood up, smiling at Bette, who looked excited to see her. Dot and Elsa, however, watched her with a hint of dislike. Rosalie never had the chance to speak to Dot as much as she had with Bette, so she had expected that kind of reaction.

Elsa was smoking a cigarette as she watched Rosalie. The chatter in the room had died down, everyone almost holding their breath in case Elsa decided to chew Rosalie out for what happened.

"You're back," was all Elsa said, surprisingly.

"I'm back," Rosalie replied.

"You enjoyed your little vacation, I presume?"

Rosalie swallowed and shifted nervously in her spot. Elsa always could make her uncomfortable; you didn't constantly know what was going on in her head.

"I wouldn't call it much of a vacation as much as I would call it running scared," she said, figuring that if she made a fool of herself, she would at least be telling the truth.

Elsa stubbed out her cigarette on a dirty ashtray sitting on an upside-down bucket before breathing out the smoke. "Very well, I'm glad you're safe, all of my freaks are very important to me," she said before ultimately dismissing her when she sat at the head of the table. Rosalie accepted this as tough love before slowly sitting down next to Eve, giving her a gentle smile.

They had really splurged for this meal; roast chicken, fresh vegetables, even a few loaves of bread that were still warm and fresh, the best the freak show had seen in weeks. Everybody ate, laughing and passing around two bottles of cheap wine. Both Jimmy and Ethel declined, which meant more for the others.

As the night went on and Rosalie felt more comfortable than she did earlier, it was impossible to ignore the glaring looks she was getting from Maggie.

 


	16. Carousel.

The next two days were dull for Rosalie; they had two shows a day, in which she decided to sit out for those while she attempted to rehearse a new routine. She thought about the new ropes Dandy had purchased for her, now remaining untouched since she only got to use them once. Her concentration was muddled, and her hands were shaky when she tried to hold her body weight up. Rosalie managed to get up halfway before she slipped, falling onto her back on the mats underneath and got the breath knocked out of her.  
  


"Are you okay?!" she heard Jimmy call, rushing over and kneeling beside her. She didn't realize he was nearby.   
  


"I think I'll survive," she said as he helped her up. Her back ached from the impact, but thankfully, she did not break anything.   
  


"I saw you struggling over here, what's wrong?" he asked as she fixed her stockings. There was a slight tear right below her knee, and she started to pout.   
  


"I've just felt off the past few days, everything I try doesn't seem to work," she said as they sat down on the small bench. Jimmy's knee knocked against hers, and she stared at it, remembering the butterflies she used to get in her belly when they were this close together.   
  


"You shouldn't work so hard, it's okay if you don't want back in the show just yet," Jimmy smiled at her. His eyes lingered on the fresh bandage on her nose.   
  


"I don't know why I'm even trying," she sighed, "Elsa is cutting my pay in half after what happened," she whispered.  
  


"What?" Jimmy asked as she stood up to go change. He ended up following her to her trailer, listening as she told him what Elsa honestly thought about her when it was just the two of them the day before.   
  


"I should have expected that it's not like ticket sales have been that great recently, either," she mumbled to him. Their revenue had dropped about three-percent, the weather was unusually cold for this time of year, and the rain kept most people at home. This was the first day they had any sunlight, and she enjoyed the heat against her skin.   
  


"I can talk about it with her, it will be okay-"  
  


"No, no no, that's not necessary, I deserve it, trust me," she said as she walked up the steps, looking down at him from her doorframe. Jimmy slowly nodded his head, but despite her efforts, he was going to do it anyway.   
  


"Rosalie?" he asked just as she was about to go inside.   
  


"Yes?" she asked.  
  


"You're not scared of me, right?" he questioned. "Of us?"  
  


Rosalie looked into his brown, doe eyes and slowly shook her head. It would be rather stupid now, claiming she was scared when most of her thoughts nowadays remained with the possible budding psychopath who lived on the other side of town.   
  


"Don't be ridiculous, Jimmy," she gave him a small yet genuine smile, "I might have been before but not anymore, anything to protect us, right?"   
  


**_**

 

The following night, Rosalie was sitting in the front row as multiple patrons slowly started to file in, filling the seats and anxiously awaiting for the start of the show. Her burgundy lace-up dress reminded her of the expensive one she would be wearing in just a few weeks. She played with the silk hemline and saw Ethel peek her head out from behind the curtains before she quickly disappeared.   
  


Someone sighed and sat next to her, and when she turned, she saw Maggie sitting there with a lit cigarette. She gently puffed on it, keeping her eyes on the stage. "It must be nerve-wracking performing on stage, I would probably die from fright,"   
  


Rosalie smiled a little and replied, "It was scary when I first started, but now it's like second nature to me."   
  


Maggie offered her a puff, and Rosalie hesitantly took it. She never smoked a day in her life; she hadn't ever thought about it. She brought it to her lips and attempted a puff, but what came out was a small tuft of smoke before she went into a coughing fit.   
  


Maggie took the cigarette back with a smirk, "I'm sorry, my first time was like that too," she said, and despite her grin, she was genuine.   
  


"That's really embarrassing, but thank you for offering," Rosalie said. Maggie stubbed the cigarette out and tossed it to the ground.   
  


"Jimmy likes to talk about you, you're all I've heard about since arriving here, did you know that?" Maggie asked.  
  


Rosalie shook her head, "No, I didn't; he was my first friend when I came here, though."  
  


"He never has anything wrong to say, not even when he talked about how you left in the middle of the night without telling anybody." she went on, her eyes lingering on the stage and not on Rosalie.   
  


"I don't want to sound rude, but is everything okay?" Rosalie asked, put off by the fact that before, it didn't seem like Maggie was that interested in her to begin with. Now, hearing her talk about Jimmy only made her confused.   
  


Maggie's face didn't budge at her interruption, only now they were staring each other face to face. "I just think his little crush on you is cute, I wouldn't want him getting his heart-broken if you don't feel the same way."   
  


Rosalie didn't say anything; did she recognize her from Halloween? It didn't seem that plausible, Jimmy had known her for months, and he still didn't suspect a thing. Now this stranger recognized her from the moment they officially met?   
  


"I'm happy you care about him, but that's our business, not yours," Rosalie stated, wanting this conversation to be over now.   
  


Maggie rolled her eyes and stood up, dusting off her plaid skirt. "I guess that means I'm free to fuck him whenever I want, your indifference proves that his feelings are just one-sided. Jimmy deserves better than this place, anyway," Maggie said under her breath before leaving Rosalie alone.   
  


Rosalie stared at the stage just as the lights flickered, indicating the show was about to start. A majority of seats were now taken up, and the cheers and hollers around her were enough to distract her mind for just a moment. Ethel came on the stage to start with the introductions, and when it was Jimmy's turn, she found she couldn't look him in the eye.   
  


Rosalie left the big top during intermission, avoiding the long lines waiting to go into the bathroom and walking towards the back, where the public was not authorized to go. She slipped into the bathroom to relieve herself, and as she came back out, she stood and watched the small families holding hands and walking back to the tent.  
  


Rosalie had different thoughts when it came to getting married and having kids. Somedays she longed for a husband, hoping that any children of theirs would be a carbon copy of him, his hair, his eyes, his nose. Others she wasn't sure if she was mother material; her parents weren't abusive, and she had absolutely no doubt that they loved her. They were absent in the last few years of their lives, though, the age where Rosalie would need them the most. After their death, she remained in the same state she had been when they were still alive, alone.   
  


Her thoughts were running wild as she wandered around the tent, listening as the show continued on without her being in the audience. The surprised screams and gasps from what had been going on made her smile. Rosalie knew that Elsa was backstage, preparing her final song for the evening.   
  


She passed the lit Ferris Wheel and watched as it slowly spun around, despite nobody being at the control panel. Rosalie walked through the gate and went to turn it off, wondering who could have left it on, it was against Elsa's rules:  _"We don't need a lawsuit!"_  
  


Rosalie noticed there was a slight chill to the air, and her short-sleeved dress wasn't enough to keep her warm. As she walked in the direction of her trailer, she saw that the carousel had also been left on by itself. She rolled her eyes, knowing now that she would have to report someone for their negligence.   
  


She cursed and crossed her arms over her chest, feeling raindrops hitting her bare skin. The sun had finally set, and the clouds were moving in. Rosalie slowed her pace down, before coming to a complete stop once the carousel made another rotation and someone was sitting on the carriage.   
  


"I'm disappointed that you weren't in the show, Rose! It's rather boring when your favorite act isn't making an appearance." Dandy said, smirking at her as he stood up and jumped into the grass, his arms slightly outstretched as he grinned at her.   
  


Rosalie froze at the sight of him before her hands clapped against her mouth as she let out a small giggle. 

 


	17. Confessions.

"Why are you here, what would Gloria say?" asked Rosalie as they sat together on the carriage, slowly turning as they sat alone on the carousel.

 

"My mother doesn't know, I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't notice I was missing, it's quite tragic." he sighed dramatically. Rosalie couldn't bring herself to reply, only deciding to lay a tired head on his shoulder. Dandy's white fur coat tickled her nose, and she felt terrible for him.

 

"You're wearing one of my dresses," he commented after they sat in silence. Rosalie smiled when he placed a hand over her thigh, momentarily feeling the silk fabric of her dress.

 

"Of course, why would I let all of that money go to waste?" she asked, hiding the disappointment when Dandy took his hand back. He happened to notice the goosebumps forming along her bare arms and shrugged out of his coat.

 

"Take this, you're absolutely freezing," he said, motioning her to lean forward and assisted in sliding her arms through the sleeves.

 

"I'm afraid of getting it dirty!" she exclaimed, looking down at the brightest white she had probably ever seen. Dandy only smiled and shrugged her off, his ears perking up at the sight of a female singing; the one he remembered as Elsa Mars, the show would be ending soon.

 

"I came to see you because I cannot stand to be in that house alone with my mother, it is absolutely dreadful being in her company, especially now that Dora has left us."

 

Rosalie looked at him, confused, "What do you mean?"

 

"Dora had an unfortunate accident, it was horrible!" Dandy said, his green eyes alight with mischief. Rosalie recognized that look; he only looked like that when...

 

"Dandy, what did you do?" she asked quietly.

 

"How about we take a walk? The show is going to be over in a few minutes, I don't think I'll be welcome, being seen with you."

 

Rosalie agreed, knowing by experience that their previous walks had been somewhat therapeutic for him. Dandy offered her his arm, and they started walking. She had become nervous now, thinking back to when Dora told her working for the Mott family paid for her daughters' education.

 

"I do not want to lie to you, Rose," Dandy said as they made their way around the tent. "But I fear you may not want me around after I tell you the truth,"

 

"Did you hurt her?" Rosalie asked.

 

Dandy's nostrils slightly flared, and his thick eyebrows furrowed together. He had to do it, she was part of the reason why Rosalie was taken from him. She deserved it, Dora was always mean to him.

 

"I found that Dora was a part of why Jimmy found you, my mother put her up to it. As much as I wanted to hurt my mother like she hurt me, I have to keep up appearances for a while longer," he said.

 

"Dandy?"

 

"I had to do it, Rose, she wanted to keep us apart," he said, and in his head, it sounded like the perfect reasoning. Dandy's lips were now in a perfect pout, and Rosalie just held onto his arm as they stopped in front of the parking lot, looking at the small array of cars.

 

"What about her daughter?" Rosalie asked quietly.

 

"Do you mean Regina?" Dandy asked, his voice sounding childlike. Rosalie wondered if he did it on purpose; a way to manipulate whoever he was talking to. Yet, the look in his eyes told her that it didn't seem likely.

 

"I guess, Dora never told me her name,"

 

"Regina is my childhood friend, we always played together, until she stopped coming around..." Dandy's nostrils flared, thinking of the abandonment he felt once she was shipped off to some private school and away from him. "She is my special family, we could all be happy together,"

 

Rosalie's eyes widened, hoping she was looking too deep into what he just said. Dandy released her arm and went to stand in front of her, a prominent grin on his face. He observed her still wrapped in his coat, his eyes almost twinkling. "You haven't run away yet."

 

Rosalie figured that what he had just admitted to hadn't sunk in yet; it was clear Dora didn't like Dandy, and if she were to be honest, he treated her like shit. Gloria couldn't even save Dandy from the mouthful he would receive from Dora when he would throw a fit. What could she say to him now?

 

"Should I?" she asked, laughing only a little. Dandy tilted his head at her and reached for his coat, pulling it tighter around her front when it began to sprinkle.

 

"I would prefer you didn't, nothing can keep me from you now."

 

 

 


	18. Thanksgiving.

Before she knew it, it was Thanksgiving Eve.

The cold, rainy weather they had grown accustomed to came and went. Today, the sky was bright blue, and it was humid. Rosalie's dress remained at the Mott household, and she held a letter from Dandy that was addressed to her. His handwriting was rather lovely, his cursive an effortless flow that she wished she possessed. Her writing was always shaky and sometimes ineligible.

_Rose,_

_A driver will be there to pick you up at 12:00 noon.  
_ _I hired some special people to help you get ready for the ball._  
I shall see you at 6 o'clock sharp on November 27th.

_Dandy Mott._

Rosalie had tucked the note away under her pillow, standing up and putting her tangled hair into a knot, feeling the relief from the relentless heat. She had kept quiet about her plans for the night, not even mentioning it to Eve or Liz. The only thing the crew knew about her temporary leave was the Mott family had taken care of her. Elsa, however, was still peeved about her disappearing act and still continued to cut her salary. Everyone else seemed to put it behind them, the family was back together, and that's what mattered.

Jimmy and Maggie were now a couple, and before everything happened, Rosalie probably would have been jealous. Maggie seemed kind enough, but their last one on one together still weighed on Rosalie's mind. Rosalie and Jimmy had never talked about any possible feelings between the two, but any outsider could tell they were soft for each other. If they had romantic feelings, they would have talked about it by now. Maggie didn't know what she was talking about.

Right before the sunset, Rosalie visited Eve and the others in the food tent, as they were preparing some food for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. She had yet to break the news that she wouldn't be attending, and after all of these weeks, she had no idea what to even tell them. They had spent every holiday with each other, especially Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. Rosalie had promised Dandy, and she didn't want to let him down.

She was surprised to find that both Jimmy and Dell were attempting to help out, while Maggie was assisting Liz in making homemade gravy. Rosalie wasn't expecting such an audience, and it made her worry more about what she was about to say, whether they were new or old members.

Jimmy smiled at her and waved, a little dab of flour on his nose as Eve was cutting dough for her famous noodles. Rosalie grinned and joined them, helping Jimmy knead the flour as he found joy in using the dough roller instead. Maggie watched them silently. Rose asked where Ethel was, and Jimmy told her she hadn't been feeling well and was resting in her trailer.

Stanley made an appearance but decided to set off to the side and smoke a cigar. There was something about him that Rosalie didn't like. He watched everybody, specifically Bette and Dot like they were fresh meat. Rosalie had never spoken a word directly to him, and for a good reason, he creeped her out.

"I'm excited to eat all of this food!" Jimmy cried out as Eve placed the large pot of noodles in one of their refrigerators, keeping them fresh until tomorrow when the ladies started on dinner. "How about you, Rose?"

Rosalie smiled a little, a broken laugh coming from her and Jimmy gave her a confused look. "About that.."

Eve placed her hands on her hips, watching the two, now interested in Rose's explanation.

"I'm actually going to this thing... this  _ball,_ " she corrected, "Dandy Mott asked me to go when I was living with him and his mom, and I accepted."

Eve gasped, the look on her face a mix of excited and bewildered. Jimmy smiled, but his brown eyes seemed hurt. "But I thought they kicked you out?"

Rosalie gave him a look; everyone had been under the impression she wanted to come back. Eve didn't seem to hear, as she was too busy thinking about one of her girls having a man in their life. That was hard to come by for most of them there, nobody wanted to be seen with a freak.

"His mom kicked me out, she didn't like the thought of Dandy and me because I'm not sitting on a trust fund, that's it." She said, figuring she might as well come clean.

"Your wealth doesn't define you as a person, sweetie,"

"I know, she wants to protect the family wealth, we don't want a heartless gold digger ruining her only son," Rosalie said, realizing it felt better stating it to another person instead of keeping it all in. ".. I don't even see him romantically, we're friends."

After all of this, a little white lie wouldn't hurt. Rosalie had developed a crush, and they didn't need to know that.

"What time are you leaving?" Jimmy asked as Maggie wandered over, her lips set in a line as she attempted to eavesdrop.

"Noon-"

"Where are you running off to now?" Rosalie turned and saw Elsa, smoking a cigarette and watching her with a furrowed brow. Eve scratched her neck and stood off to the side, knowing that their relationship has been strained lately. 

"She's going to dance the night away with  _Mr. Rich Boy_ ," Maggie grinned, causing everybody's attention to focus on her. "It just means more food for us tomorrow,"

Rosalie and Jimmy both glared at her, though she didn't seem to notice or care. Elsa took a deep drag from her cigarette and observed quietly, and at that moment, Rosalie was prepared for a mouthful.

"You're coming back after, I'm sure?" Elsa asked.

"Y-yes, of course," Rosalie replied.

"Well, as long as you don't pull a stunt like the last time, you have my blessing," Elsa spoke quietly before observing the room. "Now don't let me disturb you, get back to cooking or whatever the hell you were doing,"

Rosalie took a deep breath and realized her anxiety was for nothing. 

**_**

The next day, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade was playing on the radio as the girls began to cook food. Rosalie was eating a small breakfast as she wasn't sure when she'd be eating that day. The cereal was a little too stale for her liking but she couldn't complain otherwise.

Rosalie was doing the dishes when she felt someone standing beside her. She looked up to see Jimmy, a look of torment on his face. She frowned at him and asked what was wrong.

"I wanted to ask you something, if you heard anything about Halloween night."

Rosalie instantly froze, yet her face somehow remained unreadable. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she looked up at him.

"What about it?"

"That killer, who murdered all of those kids?" Jimmy asked, and she nodded. "We found him dead that night, me and Maggie," Jimmy said, and Rosalie prayed she was hiding her fear well enough for him not to notice, but Jimmy was observant. "I was taking my bike out for a ride into town, and they have missing posters up for a man who hasn't been seen in a few days."

Rosalie frowned, not sure what this had to do about the killer clown and the missing kids. If he was dead, how could he be responsible for another disappearance?

"I don't understand-"

"I- this sounded so much better in my head, you know?" Jimmy shook his head, "I just, I overheard some gossip, maybe there is a copycat killer or something out there, and I just wanted to tell you that if you need me to pick you up after your dance, please call," he explained quietly.

Rosalie smiled a little and nodded, causing Jimmy to break out his infectious grin.

"Thank you, Jimmy," she smiled, "And uhm, congratulations on your relationship, Maggie is nice."

Jimmy smiled and simultaneously, they looked as Maggie tiredly left her trailer, her blonde hair pinned back and her arms over her chest from the cold breeze. She was heading towards them.

"Thanks, it's nice having someone be there for you,"

Rosalie nodded and they parted ways, Jimmy going to embrace Maggie before she could move any farther. Bette Tattler smiled and waved at her before she disappeared into her trailer until noon.

 


	19. Midnight, the Stars and You.

Rosalie arrived at the Mott household at exactly twelve-thirty. The man Dandy had hired led her into the house, which was now fully decorated in colors of Harvest, and a few Christmas garlands tossed in as well. Neither Dandy or Dora was in sight as she walked up to her old room, where a young woman with pinned back hair sat, reading a worn novel. Rosalie glanced at the bags of makeup on the vanity, while her blood-red dress was nicely hanging on display. She beamed at it.

 

"Rosalie? My name is Elizabeth," she stood, tossing the book aside and happily shaking Rose's hand. Rosalie smiled.

 

"It's nice to meet you!" Rosalie said, and Elizabeth responded with "likewise."

 

"You have excellent bone structure," Elizabeth said, her long blonde hair almost enchanting Rose. Her pointed nose and cheekbones made her gorgeous yet intimidating to look at. She was stunning.

 

"Thank you," Rosalie laughed a little at the compliment.

 

"And you picked out such a gorgeous dress, I must have one made just like it," Elizabeth said, the both of them observing the lace with appreciation. Rosalie noticed she was wearing expensive jewelry and fancy clothes. As much as Rosalie didn't care for vanity, she hoped for one night; she could look as fabulous and as important as Elizabeth does now.

 

"We have five and a half hours to get you prepared, not including rest breaks, and they're bringing lunch at two," Elizabeth began as she led Rosalie over to the chair, having her sit back. Rosalie desperately needed a haircut, and she felt self-conscious of her split ends, while Elizabeth had perfect hair. Elizabeth stopped her rant and smiled knowingly.

 

"I can give you a trim if you'd like?" She offered.

 

"Yes, please,"

 

Rosalie wasn't used to being pampered, so as the hours ticked by faster than she anticipated, she felt a knot growing in her belly. Dandy was probably next door, sleeping or getting ready himself, you never knew with him. It felt odd being so nervous about someone who had the mind of a child, but Dandy was intelligent. He had a different way of looking at the World, and though Rosalie didn't agree with all of it, she understood him. Dandy just wanted to be loved and accepted for who he was.

 

Much like she did.

 

Rosalie learned that Elizabeth lived in Los Angeles, once an aspiring actress who briefly dated Rudolph Valentino before his untimely death. Rosalie was intrigued by her many stories, and hardly noticed how magnificent she looked; fresh-cut hair, now curled, red eyeshadow, blush, deep red lips, you name it. 

 

Elizabeth was finishing up Rosalie's nails when there was a knock at the door. Rosalie sipped her tea as a man only a few years older than she came in, carrying a small black box. Elizabeth stood up, clapping her neatly manicured hands together and grinning. Rosalie looked confused, "What's that?"

 

"A present from Mr. Mott, ma'am," the man said, tenderly handing the books to Elizabeth, who took it without a word. She kneeled in front of Rose, opening the box and revealing a rather large diamond ring. It sparkled and caught the light perfectly, and Rosalie found her mouth dropping open.

 

"It is not a loan, neither, it's all yours," Elizabeth sighed dreamily, thinking of her long lost,  _ dead _  lover. "We will put it on when your nails are dry,"

 

Rosalie was still speechless and could only nod, biting her tongue to keep from crying at the sheer beauty of the ring. She had never owned something so beautiful in her entire life, not even the dress perfectly matched the excellence of it. 

 

They took an hour break after their light lunch, and before she knew it, the ball was meant to start in less than an hour. Rosalie stripped out of her clothes in the bathroom, while Elizabeth handed her fresh undergarments that would be a better fit for the dress. Rosalie slipped on the black panties and strapless bra, doing her best to adjust her boobs comfortably while Elizabeth dug out her heels on the other side.

 

The two girls were excited when it was time to put on the dress, but because of the delicate lace, it was almost comical how slow they were easing the dress on her body. It was more difficult with just the two of them, but they managed to pull it off. Elizabeth was careful as she tied the back of her dress, letting the perfect bow rest comfortably against her shoulders. 

 

The real test was actually walking in the dress, and after she slipped on the heels, she was carefully roaming the room while Elizabeth cleaned up. The ring box was sitting on the vanity, open with the ring teasing her. Rosalie walked to it, gently plucking it out and slipping it on her ring finger. Elizabeth grinned and took Rosalie's hand, both of them admiring it for different reasons. 

 

Rosalie was so invested in everything that she didn't realize the sound of voices gradually increasing in volume below them, which was soon accompanied by a live band. Elizabeth was touching up her makeup, ready to go downstairs and have a good time. Rosalie's nerves were now shot as the clock on the wall read  _ 5:58 _ .

 

"Don't be so worried, darling," Elizabeth said, standing up, shaking her blonde hair out. "I don't know about you, but I'm ready to head down there,"

 

Rosalie followed her out into the hallway, the sound of holiday music growing increasingly louder as they headed down the steps, seeing multiple couples wandering around downstairs. The party was just starting, and Rosalie already felt out of place; this wasn't her wealth, she was just flaunting somebody else's. 

 

It wasn't like the movies; the entire room didn't stop and stare, but the few that did, nodded at her respectively. Rosalie didn't know them, and they didn't know her, but it felt good. She continued following Elizabeth like a lost puppy, at least until she found Dandy, or even Gloria, for that matter. Rosalie could put their differences aside for a moment if it meant she would stop looking like a fool. 

 

The house was larger than Rosalie thought, as she peeked down the hall and saw a long table, nicely decorated and just waiting to serve the guests for the night. Employees that were hired bustled about, trying to get everything ready before dinner was served at seven-thirty. She went to take a step back to turn around when she bumped into someone.

 

Rosalie was quick to mask the expletive that threatened to slip out, covering her red mouth, only to find Dandy beaming at her. They both sized each other up at the same time, admiring their date for the evening. They looked elegant, red-suited both of them ideally. 

 

"You look magnificent," Dandy said. They smiled at each other, taking a step closer when Gloria moved in between them, causing Rosalie to stumble back, but catching herself on one of the marble pillars.

 

"Dandy, dear, the Andrew's are here and are requesting your presence!" She chirped, adjusting Dandy's tie, though it was already perfect. The look on his face was of pure annoyance, and Gloria didn't seem to notice.

 

"I haven't seen them in over a year, a few more minutes wouldn't hurt," Dandy said, attempting to step around his mother, but the Andrews decided to make an appearance on their own. A husband and wife, and their two daughters circled the Motts like vultures.

 

Rosalie stepped back, noticing a still waiter holding a tray of dark wine. She snagged a glass and started to chug, once again feeling more out of place than before. She had no idea if Gloria was intentionally trying to sabotage their evening, it seemed unlikely with all of the people surrounding them. Rosalie listened as the band finished  _ Joy to the World. _

 

"It was nice catching up!" Dandy said his voice void of any genuine excitement as he pushed his way through the two young ladies fawning over him. The father of the family sipped his gin and nodded for the rest to follow him across the room.

 

"Hi," Dandy said with a childish grin.

"Hello," Rosalie smiled back.

 

"Would you like another wine?" Dandy asked, already plucking one for himself off the tray. Dandy was a cognac man himself, but a little change wouldn't hurt.

 

Rosalie looked down at the empty glass in her hand, not realizing she had drained it all at once. She passed it off to another waiter carrying a tray of dirty dishes, and Dandy handed her a new glass. The other patrons started to migrate towards the party room, as dinner was being served in a matter of minutes. Rosalie wished deep down that it was just the two of them.

 

"Who are they?" Rosalie asked, tilting her head of the family Gloria seemed very attached to. She was there talking to them, occasionally sneaking glances at her son, her disapproval almost evident.

 

"He was a friend of my father," Dandy shrugged, tucking a loose strand of hair back in place. "They were business partners for a while until Mr. Andrews decided it was his calling to invest all of his money in stocks, now they just travel the world and hope for the best,"

 

Rosalie nodded and took a step closer, their arms bumping together. Dandy looked down at her before observing the room, noticing that the youngest Andrew's sister, Angelina, was still giving him the heart eyes. Dandy cleared his throat and took Rosalie's arm, leading her in the direction of the partygoers.

 

They sat for dinner, and Rosalie ate until she felt like her dress might pop. Elizabeth sat across from them, drinking wine and laughing with the man beside her.

 

"You have a jawline for days," Rosalie heard her drunkenly mutter to him, watching as the man whispered something in her ear. And then they were gone.

 

Rosalie was too full to eat dessert on her own, so she took some of Dandy's instead. The look he gave her was quite comical, a furrowed brow and pouty lips. Rosalie giggled at him and promised just another bite would suffice. He relented and let her have as much as he wanted, laughing at her.

 

After dinner, they all headed back to the main room, where couples danced along to the soft ballads the bands started to play. Rosalie nor Dandy knew much about dancing; Gloria attempted to enroll him in lessons at a young age, but his rage when his young partner messed up caused him to be removed from the class. When  _ Midnight, the Stars and You _  began to play, Rosalie insisted they dance, no matter how ridiculous they looked.

 

Rosalie was never a heavy drinker, and as midnight drew closer and closer, she could barely walk in her heels. Dandy helped her step out of them, leading her down the hall where the other guests weren't authorized to go. She clung to his arm and praised the party, her dress, and the ring that continued to shine beautifully against the light.

 

" _ Daniel _  Mott, that's your real name, right?" She snorted, laughing at nothing except for her inability to keep in the giggles.

Dandy shook his head and had her sit down on a marble bench, the music now a low rumble. "How do you know that?"

 

"I heard-" Rosalie hiccups, "I heard your mother calling you that, it's adorable,"

 

Dandy watched as she went to wipe at her lips, but stopped her before she could smear the dark lipstick across her cheek. "Are you tired, I can put you upstairs?" He asked, figuring that was the right thing to do. If she could contain his murderous temper and listen to him complain about the most mundane of things, Dandy knew she deserved to be treated like a princess. Rosalie earned his love and respect, unlike most of the people in his life.

 

"No, I want to be with you?" She said slowly, before laying a tired head on his shoulder. Dandy looked down at her, her hair tickling his nose, and he leaned down to kiss her head.

 

"Why am I so special to you?" Rosalie asked after a few moments of silence. "You're never mean to me, you don't yell at me, why?"

 

Dandy already knew the answer; he only pondered it every day of his life. Rosalie was intoxicated, and Dandy was afraid she wouldn't remember when she woke up the next day; hungover and annoyed by every little thing.

 

"If you remember this conversation tomorrow, then I will tell you then,"

 

Rosalie pouted, sticking her pinky up in the air. Dandy gave it a quizzical look before Rosalie hit his chest a few times with her hand and said, "Pinky promise! Have you never done a pinky promise before?"

 

"No, I usually just kill the people who lie to me."

 

Rosalie blinked, her drunken mind not registering the severe tone of his voice before she did a full belly laugh. Dandy didn't know what was so funny, he just let her laugh and laugh until he finally caved, and they swore with their pinkies.

 

"I'll remember in the morning, just you wait," she mumbled into his chest, as her head slowly began to fall. Dandy sighed and stood up, carefully lifting her to her feet. He led her upstairs, much to her dismay, and helped her into her bedroom, leaving her shoes by the door as she quickly fell into a deep sleep.

 


	20. The Morning After.

The next morning, Rosalie woke up in her old bedroom, her head pounding. The curtains were closed, very little light entering the room, but what did caused her to groan. She sat up and looked down at her dress, thankful she didn't puke all over it after being so intoxicated. Her face felt gross and dry from the leftover makeup.

Rosalie's eyes slowly trailed beside her, where Dandy lay, looking at her with tired eyes. The bed was big enough to where there was a distance between the two, but she hadn't expected him to actually be there. They had both been drinking, perhaps he was too tired to move?

"My head is killing _meeeeee_ ," Rosalie groaned, hopping from the bed and landing on her bare feet. She wanted a bath, and she knew there was no way in hell she'd be performing at the show tonight.

"I've never seen a lady drink so much, and I've seen my mother knock a few back in my lifetime," Dandy said as he left the bed, and Rosalie realized that he had taken off his suit jacket and wore the black button-up.   
Rosalie wiped her eyes and then cursed when the mascara started to sting."It's a good reminder of why I never drink in the first place!" She said, before swinging open the bathroom door. "Could I take a bath?"

"Be my guest," Dandy said, picking up his belongings before they stood in awkward silence. He knew she had just woken up, but Dandy wished she would ask the same question as the night before. But she didn't, Rosalie smiled at him before disappearing, the door softly clicking shut behind her.

Dandy walked out of the room, planning on cleaning up himself before he had to take her home. Home and away from him, again.

_

Rosalie stayed in the tub for a few hours, occasionally drifting in and out of consciousness. She would wake when the water got too cold before using her toes to turn the faucets on and off. The lavender bubbles she found had worn off, but the scent found its way into her skin as she finally got out sometime later and dried off.

She found her clothes from the day before and changed into them, still not wanting to ruin the new, unworn dresses in the closet that Gloria surprisingly never threw out. She hung her evening gown back up, running her hands along the fabric sadly. It was such a beautiful dress.

Rosalie walked down the steps, seeing that little evidence remained from the party last night. The staff was currently moving the furniture back as Gloria watched, smoking. Her nose crinkled at the smoke.

She found herself walking towards the room Dandy had set up her acrobatic ropes. Until it dawned on her that she couldn't remember the exact room. Rosalie made her way down the hall, seeing a bathroom, a room with a bunch of creepy looking dolls, a door that wouldn't open, and finally, she found them.

They were still up, much to her relief. She ran her hand along the fabric, smiling at the memory when she fell, and Dandy was right there. Her heart remained conflicted about him, but she didn't want to dwell on that today, so instead she went back to quietly shut the door.

It was probably stupid to scale the ropes wearing normal clothes, but she reached the top easily. She slipped into the ring, sitting in it as she gazed below. It wasn't a significant height compared to the Freak Show, but it made her feel alive.

Rosalie lost count of the minutes before the door swung open, revealing a rather disheveled Dandy, who looked up at her with wide eyes. She could immediately see the fear on his face.

"Dandy?" She called down to him.

He breathed a sigh of relief, rubbing his eyes as she slowly made her way towards him. Dandy was dressed impeccably like always. "I thought you left without saying goodbye."

Rosalie smiled sheepishly, her feet touching the floor. She righted her outfit, hearing as he approached her the rest of the way. "I didn't mean to worry you, Dandy."

"It's alright, you're here now," he beamed down at her. "If you want to stay for a little while..." he trailed off, his eyes darting to her feet. Dandy became shy and Rosalie found that to be endearing. "You don't have to run away just yet."

Rosalie reached out and took his hands in hers, spreading her palm over their intertwined fingers. Dandy hid his smile, relishing her touch.

"I'd really like that."

Dandy seemed pleased with her answer. He looked like he wanted to speak, but stopped.

"Why do you seem so upset?" She asked, her brows furrowing with concern. Dandy squeezed his eyes shut, allowing his expression to relax when she cupped his cheek. "Dandy?"

"Rose, how much do you remember before you left the party?" He questioned. She tilted her head at him, a small laugh coming from her as he waited.

"I remember you took me to the guest room?" She offered. "I fell asleep rather quickly, what-"

"No, no, before that." He pushed.

Rosalie ran her thumb along his cheekbone. Dandy continued to watch her, his eyes alight with hope and excitement. Both from hoping she remembered and having her touching him. Dandy enjoyed her touch very much.

"I don't know if I remember..." she replied, saddened by the look on his face. Dandy pouted, reaching up to slowly remove her hand from his face. Still, he held onto her one hand.

"It's fine, it wasn't that important," he mumbled sadly. Rosalie frowned at him, feeling worse because of his obvious disappointment. She also knew better and refused to push him.

Rosalie's stomach growled, and Dandy looked at her with a smile. "Let's eat."

She followed him back to the dining room. Dandy refused to let go of her hand, a smirk on his face as Gloria stared at it with distaste but kept her mouth shut. He led her past the table into the kitchen.

"My mother gave our new maid the day off, so we have to fend for ourselves," Dandy mumbled as he released her hand. Rosalie found herself pouting now. He opened the ice box, his eyes darting around at the various selection of food. Dandy looked lost.

"What are you hungry for?" Rosalie piped up, standing beside him. He glanced down at her. "We can cook together, it will be fun!"

He still looked puzzled, much to her amusement. Rosalie giggled at him, "Have you  _never_ cooked before?"

Dandy shrugged, "Dora always cooked for us..."

Rosalie sighed, a smile touching her lips as she looked around the pantries. "We can make pancakes?" She tried.

"Yes!" Dandy spoke up, his eyes lightning up.

Rosalie gathered the ingredients while Dandy searched for a griddle they could use. She showed him how to set it up before putting it to the correct temperature.

"Since it's your first time, I want you to do it," Rosalie grinned at him, putting a measuring cup in his hand. "We need two cups of flour," she said, popping the lid from the Tupperware.

Dandy seemed rather exciting to cook, and she taught him how to even out the flour. She smiled at him as he slowly dragged a fork along the top, before looking at her for confirmation.

Dandy brought the mixing bowl closer, before plopping the flour in. A tuft of flour dust rose in the air, causing both of them to cough.

"I'm sorry!" Dandy apologized, wiping a sliver of flour from her cheek as she laughed at him.

"It's fine. We have to be easy with dry ingredients, it's not fun inhaling them," she said, before sneezing.

Dandy seemed embarrassed as she watched him add the baking powder, vanilla extract, and salt. She cleaned up as they went along, instructing him to  _carefully_ mix the batter after the mixed butter and eggs went in.

"This is fun, I don't believe Dora ever let me in the kitchen, she said I was too obnoxious." He frowned.

"It's fun when you know what you're doing." She smiled at him. "We don't want the batter too thick or thin, it will be difficult cooking them if it's not the right texture."

Gloria heard their laughter from the foyer, crossing into the dining room to peek at them. Her boy had some flour on his nose and a little on his dark blue sweater. Dandy was unkempt. Rosalie was adjusting the temperature on the griddle, her back to both of them.

Gloria stepped away, heading upstairs as she debated on what to do. Her boy seemed to be happy,  _genuinely_  happy for the first time in years. She found herself not having to bombard him with gifts, but Dandy was still angry at her for kicking Rose out.

She locked herself in her room, staring at the phone next to her bed.  _What to do._

Dandy put so much syrup on his pancakes that Rosalie was sure he was now eating mush.

Since he had a bit of a sweet tooth, they found a can of whipped cream and some candy pieces. Rosalie doused her cakes with the cream, but left the candy to Dandy.

He noticed she had yet to touch her food. Dandy frowned at her, "What's wrong?"

"I want to see you try!" She grinned at him, "You made them."

"With  _your_ recipe," he pointed out.

"Come on, just try!"

Dandy smirked at her, cutting into his food and taking a large bite. Rosalie watched patiently, her grin only getting wider as his eyes rolled in the back of his head.

"Good?" She teased.

"The best thing I've ever tasted."

-

Dandy led Rosalie upstairs after their meal, holding her hand tightly and taking her to his designated playroom. There was a big Christmas tree in the corner, lights up but waiting to be fully decorated.

Rosalie looked around, seeing a bathtub was placed in the middle of the room. She grinned, running her hand along the smooth tub, "When did this get here?"

"It's a nice addition, don't you think?" He smirked at her.

"Yeah, it's huge," she commented.

There was another mischievous glint in his eye as she ran her manicured hand along the faucet, the diamond ring he had given her shining elegantly.

"Rosalie?"

"Yes?" She glanced up at him.

Dandy seemed to fidget, his eyes locked on her ring. Rosalie followed his gaze and brought her hand to her chest, blushing deeply.

"Are you alright?" Rosalie asked, tilting her head at him.

"Do- _would_  you maybe want to?.."

Rosalie stared at him, watching his bright eyes slowly bounce from her to the tub. She shuffled in her spot, immediately wanting to make up an excuse.  _Oh, I took one earlier, remember?_

Dandy gazed at her with such intensity, and she found herself quickly changing her mind. She realized that she  _wanted_  too, whatever that meant to Dandy.

"Okay," she grinned at him.

Dandy smirked, even wider this time as he slowly made his way back to the door, his back facing her as he slowly slid the lock into place.

Rosalie's heart was racing in her chest as she thought about what may or may not transpire. Dandy made his way back over, his eyes once again finding her ring, and he gently took her hand.

"This looks amazing on you."

She smiled, her cheeks turning dark as he brought her hand to his mouth, pressing a delicate kiss right on her knuckle. His lips gently bopped the diamond.

"What if Gloria catches us?" Rosalie breathed, her stomach churning at the idea of what the matriarch of the Mott family would do to her. It's bad enough getting a distasteful look just for holding his hand.

Dandy shrugged, once again speaking as if his words didn't bother him. Rosalie liked his confidence. "I guess she'll have to enjoy the show then."

Dandy reached down and plugged the tub, turning on the hot water. Rosalie watched with a sparkle in her eyes.

Dandy stood up straight, huffing a smile as he shrugged out of his blue sweater. Rosalie's eyes widened slightly at his toned chest, not realizing how strong Dandy looked. She felt more nervous than before, glancing down at her belly that was bloated from the pancakes. Dandy hadn't been affected at all.

"I'm not looking, Rose," Dandy suddenly cut in, startling her. She hadn't realized Dandy dropped his pants and was now naked.

_This is really happening, isn't it?_

Rosalie took off her clothes, keeping her eyes on the tub of water that was now steaming. Dandy had walked across the room, searching one of the many chests for something. Rosalie watched the water swirl in the tub, feeling herself becoming cold.

Dandy walked back over, a jar of red liquid in his hands. Rosalie immediately crossed her arms over her chest, letting her hair cover as much as possible. Dandy noticed and looked at her, but like he promised, his eyes remained on hers.

"I hope you're just cold, Rose," he commented. "I wish you'd see yourself like I see you." Dandy didn't miss a beat, pulling the lid from the jar and swirling the liquid around. Rosalie's brows furrowed, realizing it looked like  _blood._

"What are you holding?" She asked, forgetting her insecurities and walked towards him, noting how hard it was not to check him out.

"Blood?" He said, once again giving her that boyish, naive look she was still unsure about.

Rosalie's face slightly paled, and Dandy bent down to turn off the water. She found herself staring at his muscular shoulders.  _Blood. Blood. Blood._

He stood up straighter, looking at her as if he had second thoughts. Instead, Dandy set the jar down, balancing the lid that was still unscrewed.

"Whose blood is it?" Rosalie whispered.

Dandy shrugged, "That doesn't matter." 

 


	21. Regina.

_ Is this really a good idea? _

 

Rosalie didn't realize Dandy had already gotten into the tub. He flexed his toes in the water, looking at her with expectant eyes.

 

"I love baths," he commented, a soft gleam in his eyes. "The water is warm, Rose. What are you waiting for?"

 

_ It's now or never, Rosalie. He might forget about the blood and call it a day. _

 

Rosalie took a deep breath, looking at the far end of the tub. She never shared a bath with another person, unless you count her childhood friend Maria when they were six.

 

She could tell Dandy was becoming frustrated. His foot began to bob in the water, his eyes watching her with a fire brewing behind them. She decided to improvise.

 

"W-Where, do you want me to go?" she asked.

 

Dandy tilted his head at her, "I won't bite."

 

She laughed a little, deciding she just needed to wing it. Rosalie put a foot in the water, her body stalling at the hot water. Dandy noticed and reached forward, surprising her by taking her foot and massaging it.

 

"I'm sorry if it's too hot!" he apologized.

 

Rosalie sighed at the relief, before dipping her other foot in. Dandy used his other hand to rub her skin, attempting to relieve the sting her against her cold feet. When she felt comfortable, she told him he could stop.

 

"Come on, sit!" He urged.

 

_ I'm actually doing this. _

 

Rosalie sunk down in the water, and she could feel his thighs pressing against her butt. The water was more welcoming this time, and she allowed her self to lean back against his chest.

 

Dandy felt a little flutter deep within his soul.

 

Rosalie laid her head against his shoulder. Her eyes fell on the little carton of blood that still plagued her mind.

Dandy kept his arms against the tub, but the longer she sat so close to him, the more he itched to touch her. He listened to her quiet breaths, and they were music to his ears. He perked up at the sound of his mother entering the front door; she must be done with her garden.

 

Rosalie had tensed up at the sound and immediately felt ashamed that she was unable to hide her fear of his mother. "Da-"

 

" _ Shhh,"  _ he cooed, removing a hand from the ring of the tub and placing it over her mouth. She looked at him with wide eyes as Gloria started up the steps, calling out his name excitedly.

 

"Dandy, we have a guest!" She called, and suddenly the door handle began to jingle. Rosalie crossed her legs, instinctively trying to cover herself despite Gloria's failed attempts to get in.

 

"Mother, I'm busy!" Dandy called out, before pressing a delicate kiss to Rosalie's head. She closed her eyes, feeling her heartbeat accelerating.

 

"Dandy, Regina is here! She came all the way from her studies just to visit!"

 

Dandy rolled his eyes, not only at his mother but the ridiculousness of the situation. He hasn't seen Regina in years, and now he killed her mother.

 

"I'll be finished soon, show her your garden or something?!" Dandy rolled his eyes, looking down at the top of Rose's head. She looked terrified.

 

They heard Gloria mention something about tea, and then their footsteps slowly faded. Dandy removed his hand when he felt they were safe.

 

"Isn't that Dora's daughter?" Rosalie asked, sitting up, and twisting her body just enough to look back at Dandy.

 

"Yes, she must be wondering where her mother has been," he sighed deeply. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, I always liked Regina."

 

Rosalie played with the damp ends of her hair, figuring that it was time they get up and dry off. But when she went to stand up, Dandy grabbed her arm with a confused frown.

 

"Where are you going?"

 

Rosalie feared she made a mistake, "I-I-uh, I thought you'd want to go and see her?"

 

Dandy dropped her arm with a pout, "I guess you're right."

 

Rosalie was startled when he stood up, climbing out. His actions caused her to knock into the water, gripping onto the tub for dear life. She watched him with wide eyes when he went into a drawer and pulled out some towels, before looking back at her.

 

"Here's your towel," he said, laying it on top of the dresser. He had another mischievous look in his eyes as he started drying off.

 

Rosalie didn't like it.

 

-

 

Rosalie slowly got dressed, tying her hair up while Dandy went downstairs. He was silent the whole time, barely offering her a glance, and she was worried. Her clothes from earlier were slightly damp from being on the floor, so she changed into a purple dress.

 

She debated on whether or not she should go downstairs or not. She could hear Regina talking to Gloria, but Dandy's voice was nowhere to be found. And tea didn't sound too horrible, either.

 

Rosalie descended the staircase, her flats gently clicking against the wood floor. The voices in the kitchen had quieted as she slowly turned the corner into the sitting room.

 

Gloria was sipping her tea, and Regina had paused at the sight of her. Her face seemed confused, looking at Gloria for an introduction.

 

"And who is that?" Regina mumbled. Rosalie looked around the room, now embarrassed that Dandy wasn't even here.

 

"She's just a friend," Gloria said quickly, "She should be getting along any moment now,"

 

Rosalie glared at the matriarch, feeling her cheeks flush with humiliation. Regina looked at her again before her gaze sharpened.

 

"Mother, please don't be rude in front of our guest," Dandy said from the doorway before Rosalie felt his hand press against her back. "You know perfectly well, Rosalie and I are seeing each other."

 

Regina coughed into her cup, trying her hardest not to laugh. Rosalie looked at him, trying to hide her smirk at the look on Gloria's face.

 

Dandy smiled down at his companion before looking towards Regina. "Regina! How lovely of you to stop by, unfortunately, I was preoccupied with something else when you arrived," he smiled, before stepping away from Rosalie's side and taking an empty teacup. "What are we talking about?"

 

"I want to know where my mother is, Dandy," Regina stated matter-of-factly, setting her cup down. "Ms. Mott says my mother is out buying squash, but it has been weeks since I've heard from her-"

 

"Dora went to another town, Regina," Gloria said. "The squash in Jupiter has been in short supply this year, you see..."

 

Regina looked displeased with her answer, huffing a breath before standing up and grabbing her purse. "I have called my mother every day since I've been gone. She would have made sure we were still in contact, even if she were  _ buying squash _ ."

 

Rosalie looked down at her feet, feeling uncomfortable being put in this situation. Dandy assured her Dora would be back any day now.

 

"I hope you're right," Regina said. "Thank you for the tea, Ms. Mott. I will be back soon. Hopefully, my mother will be back from her trip by then." Regina said, her sarcasm rather thick. As she left, she gave Rosalie a confused glance.

 

"What a lovely visit," Dandy sighed happily.

 

Gloria set her mug down, her gloved hands shakily reaching for a cigarette in her case. Rosalie turned, feeling tears well up in her eyes at the thought of Dora. She walked back up the stairs, ignoring the look Dandy continued to throw her away. She locked herself in the spare bedroom, backing up until she was sitting safely on the bed.

 

_ Dandy would never hurt you, he cares about you. _

_ He still killed somebody. _

_ He has  tried  to kill others. _

 

Rosalie took a shaky breath before allowing the tears to spill down her cheeks. 


	22. Revelations.

That night, Dandy hid in his bedroom. He hasn't seen Rosalie since Regina left, and he couldn't get into her room since she locked the door.

 

He changed into his pajamas, knowing tomorrow one of her friends from the Freak Show would be knocking on their front door. She was supposed to be home tonight.

 

Dandy tried to convince himself that she was just tired. He saw the way she looked at him when Regina left. Rosalie had known about Dora before this, but her reaction tonight struck him as peculiar. He didn't want to think about Rosalie being scared of him. He would never lay a finger on her.

 

Dandy once thought he held a heart that could not love. Dora looked into his eyes as he slashed her throat and felt not one ounce of remorse for her death. The guy from the bar, however, was different. Dora's death was rather quick, in a few seconds, she was dead to the world.

 

_That poor guy just would NOT die._

 

Despite temporarily feeling bad about that guy taking forever to die, he still felt a rush of adrenaline thinking about it. Dandy realized that his purpose on Earth was to bring death.

 

And, of course, make Rosalie his.

 

Her name felt like music to his ears, almost like a prayer, if you will. When they were apart, there were chunks of him missing. Seeing her in her gown last night at the dance was like dying and going to Heaven. She looked like an angel sent to Earth.

 

Dandy pressed his fingers to his temples, trying to will away the anxiety he was feeling. Rosalie couldn't be scared of him, she couldn't leave him. He loved her. He would do anything to protect her and give her the life she deserved.

 

He stood up, crossing to his door where he peeked out. It was already past ten. Gloria was already in bed down the hall. Dandy stared at Rosalie's door, before it slowly opened, revealing her deep brown eyes that widened at the sight of him.

 

"Dandy!" she exclaimed, and he wanted to laugh at the fear in her voice. He would never get tired of startling her. "What the hell are you doing!?"

 

"I missed you?" He pouted. He felt his chest start to flutter at the sight of her. "Are you mad at me?" He whispered from across the hall.

 

Rosalie rubbed at her eye; she had taken a short nap but found that her dreams were keeping her awake. All she could see was the man she was starting to love mercilessly killing somebody.

 

"No," she said, her tone rather flat. "I was just... Overwhelmed." Rosalie whispered to him.

 

Dandy once again made sure his mother's door was shut, before quietly stepping out of his room and towards Rosalie. She was perplexed on her feelings towards Dandy, yet she immediately stepped back to let him in. He closed the door behind him and instantly noticed she was wearing a thin nightgown, which was very different from the pajamas she wore when she lived here. He did his best not to stare.

 

Now that they were in the same room, their voices became a bit louder.

 

"What are you going to do when Regina finds out?" Rosalie asked him. Dandy sat on the edge of her messy bed, looking at her concerned expression.

 

"I never thought that far ahead," Dandy sighed, feeling irritated that Rosalie still kept a distance between them. He longed to have her close to him. "Regina is my family, she was my only real friend as a child, maybe I'll just end up telling her myself."

 

"Dandy, you'll go to jail." She frowned at him, and for once, he could see genuine fear in her eyes.

 

Dandy scoffed, despite the joy of knowing Rosalie didn't seem to want to lose him either. "My sweet, sweet, Rose. I don't think you need to be worried about that."

 

Rosalie bit her lip for a split second, before walking over to him and sliding in his lap. Dandy paused, unsure of where to put his hands. She wrapped her legs around his waist, but when Rosalie placed her head in his neck, he felt her tears.

 

"Why are you crying?" Dandy asked, finally gaining control of his body and hugging her to him.

 

"I feel like such a bad person," she sniffled. "I want to be home with my family, but then I want to be here with you because I miss you all of the damn time. Then your mom always makes me feel like shit, and then I'm terrified of anyone finding of you, or what's going to happen once Jimmy remembers and I just-"

 

The sound of a door gently opening caused both of them to freeze. Dandy kept a protective hold on her, glaring at the door as the quiet footsteps of Gloria walked past. She headed down the steps, and Dandy wondered if she was having another night of no sleep.

 

"... I'm so confused, Dandy," she finally said when they felt they were safe. "I don't know where I belong anymore."

 

"You're the best thing that has ever happened to me, Rose," Dandy said, pulling her back and forcing her to meet his eyes. Rosalie continued to cry, but there was a hint of a smile crossing her face. "I feel normal when I'm with you."

 

Rosalie nodded, wiping at her own eyes. Dandy tilted his head at her, brushing a few of her tears away himself.

 

"Are you going to tell me why you never get mad at me now?" Rosalie cracked a smile, "Or yell at me?"

 

Dandy didn't expect to feel like his heart grew three sizes.

 

"You remembered!" He grinned.

 

"I remembered before I took a nap, yes," she laughed at him. "Will you tell me now?"

 

Dandy cupped her cheeks before kissing her. Rosalie couldn't hide the small gasp in her throat, but he didn't care. Their second kiss was going to be better than the first; no angry mother ripping them away.

 

Rosalie melted into his embrace before she felt his hands tighten around her hips. She was never this intimate in a long time. Dandy would never admit how inexperienced he was; he barely had any relationships of meaning in the past. With Rosalie, it felt like he already knew everything there was to know about loving another person.

 

Rosalie allowed herself to pull back, trying to catch air while Dandy gently pressed his lips to her throat. They sat there for a few minutes, feeling their hearts pounding against one another.

 

"I love you, I love you, I love you," Dandy blurted out. Rosalie stalled, looking at him in surprise. Dandy felt scared for the second time that night until he saw her cheeks turn red.

 

"I think I'm falling in love with you..." she whispered.

 

Dandy smiled before pressing a kiss to her forehead. He hooked his arms around her again before dragging them both onto the bed. Rosalie squealed at his strength, laughing with him when they settled next to each other. He could feel goosebumps form on her skin, and he made sure she was covered with a blanket.

 

"Please don't leave me tonight?" She asked him. Dandy pulled her into his chest, wondering how in the hell this girl could make him do things he never would have imagined doing.

 

"Go to sleep, Rose. I'll be here."

-

 

The next day came bright and early, Rosalie awoke to find that Dandy was no longer lying beside her. In fact, the sheets were cold. She sat up, listening to the sound of distant thunder, which is what probably stirred her from sleep.

 

She jumped off the bed, digging into the dresser to see what she could find. Gloria would flip if she saw how short her nightgown was. Rosalie slipped on a light blue jumpsuit that tied in the front, before brushing her teeth and making sure her hair looked presentable.

 

Rosalie's heart was pounding as she left the bedroom. Her heart was aching for Dandy, and she knew immediately that the way she felt for him meant it was time to take responsibility.

 

_He loves you._

_He has killed Dora and, more than likely, others._

 

"Yes, of course, he has," Rosalie grumbled to herself.

 

The atmosphere in the Mott household was uncomfortable. The grand windows revealed the dark, looming clouds making their way towards Jupiter.

 

Rosalie stopped at the end of the stairs, seeing the new maid tidying up the sitting room. She paused at the sight of Rosalie, the duster poised in mid-air. Rosalie couldn't help but think of Dora.

 

"Mrs. Mott will be home soon, she escorted her son to an appointment,"

 

Rosalie frowned, "What appointment?"

 

The new maid shrugged, "I'm afraid I don't know, dear. Would you like some breakfast?"

 

Rosalie nodded, her brows furrowing as she didn't recall Dandy saying anything about an appointment. She followed the maid, sitting at her usual seat.

 

"I hope you like strawberries," the maid called, bringing out a covered tray and setting it in front of Rosalie. "It's not much, Mrs. Mott was in a rush this morning."

 

Rosalie lifted the lid, seeing plain oatmeal garnished in strawberries. She smiled a bit, "I love them, thank you, Ms?..."

 

"Johnson,"

 

Rosalie nodded, gently laying her napkin on her lap. Typically being by herself, she wouldn't care, but she was self-conscious in front of Ms. Johnson. Who only knows what Gloria has told her.

 

Rosalie ate her breakfast, allowing herself to set her elbows on the table for the first time. She didn't know much about the formalities of mealtime with the wealthy until she met Dandy. He silently coached her through it, hoping his mother would be impressed.

 

He was disappointed like always.

 

"What time did they leave?" Rosalie found herself asking.

 

"I'd say about eight-thirty, dear," Ms. Johnson said from the other room.

 

Rosalie finished her meal, sighing deeply. She had never been in the house alone. Rosalie could go watch television, listen to Dandy's radio, or sit in her bed until they arrived home. She felt too exhausted to use her ropes.

 

Rosalie watched Ms. Johnson clear her plates. Seeing the new maid made her sad, she never had the chance to get to really know Dora.

 

Rosalie stood up quickly, following her into the kitchen, where Ms. Johnson gave her a confused look. The Motts rarely used the kitchen themselves.

 

"Uh- do you need help?" Rosalie offered.

 

"That's not necessary, dear, truly-" Ms. Johnson frowned, the confusion so evident that it made Rosalie feel a bit embarrassed. "The rich aren't really supposed to help... the  _help."_

 

Rosalie laughed a little, "I'm not a Mott, Ms. Johnson, Dandy is just a good friend of mine." she said.

 

Ms. Johnson looked at her, still confused, but amused at the same time. She was only here a few weeks, she has children of her own to take care of. If Gloria saw Rosalie helping, she couldn't risk being fired for breaking the rules.

 

"Go on and rest, dear. I can take care of everything from here."

 

Rosalie masked her disappointment, nodding, and leaving the room.

 

With the maid's rejection aside, Rosalie decided to head up to Dandy's room. She shut the door behind her, looking around at the stuffed animals littering the floor. She scoffed, admittedly taken aback. Rosalie just assumed his playroom was filled with relics of the past. His room was huge, just about the size of the playroom next door. Dandy's bed was made, and not a speck of dust to be seen. His curtains were pulled open, revealing the stormy sky. 

 

She hoped that he wouldn't be upset with her. Come to think of it, Rosalie was only here one time, and it was for maybe thirty seconds. She understood that a bedroom could be a sacred place for some.

 

_Maybe you'll go watch some television instead, see why Dandy loves Howdy Doody so much._

 

The shrill sound of the phone startled her out of her wits. Rosalie clutched her chest, wheezing a laugh as Ms. Johnson answered it below. After a few moments, Rosalie heard her yell from the bottom of the stairs.

 

"IT'S FOR YOU, DEAR!"

 

Rosalie frowned, looking around the room and seeing a phone on his dresser. She went to it and hesitantly picked it up, staring at it as if she never used it before in her life. "Hello?"

 

"Rosalie!" Jimmy sighed on the other side of the phone. "I was so worried about you! You didn't call, you never came home, we were worried sick!"

 

For the first time since she has known him, this was the first time Jimmy has ever sounded angry with her. Rosalie knew she deserved it.

 

"I-I'm so sorry, Jimmy, I swear I just..." she took a deep breath. "I felt ill last night," she said a little white lie. It wasn't far off from the truth. "I think I ate something bad, Dandy was prepared to take me home when I just got sick."

 

Jimmy was silent on the other end for a few moments. Rosalie held her breath, hoping he would believe her. She genuinely felt terrible that she never called, Rosalie felt like she kept letting everyone down.

 

"I'm sorry, Rose. We were all expecting you, with the way things have been, we've just been on edge. I uh," Jimmy cleared his throat. "I drove to the diner and stole their phone book. The storms blew out our power at home, I tried to reach you earlier. Do you need me to pick you up when the rain stops?"

 

No matter what she felt for Dandy or Jimmy for that matter, Rosalie always knew that the bond she and Jimmy shared was unbreakable. She felt genuinely cared for, despite feeling like a loser for her shit communication skills.

 

"No, no, it's fine," she smiled into the phone. "Dandy isn't even home, I'd actually like to say goodbye to him, you know?"

 

At the other end of town, Jimmy clutched the phone tightly in his hand. His feelings for Maggie Esmeralda were real, but Rosalie was the first girl he ever thought he could love. He had reason to feel a bit jealous that this Dandy Mott, who initially offered to buy Rosalie, is suddenly her...  _Friend? Boyfriend? Lover?_

 

"I understand, Rose," Jimmy said, "I'll see you later?"

 

Rosalie watched as the wind picked up outside, the trees practically touching the ground at the force of the wind mixed with the heavy rain. "I'll see you later. Please don't go anywhere, Jimmy, at least until this weather lets up."

 

Jimmy laughed into the phone, "You don't need to worry about me, Rose, I promise."

 

Rosalie laughed too before they both said their goodbyes. She hung up the phone, feeling her heartache for her friend. Rosalie missed the late-night talks they'd have in her trailer, sprawled out on her bed with junk food between them and the radio on low in the background. Jimmy eating potato chips with his hands was comical, as he always managed to crumble them before they even got to his mouth. She'd wake up on a sheet of potato chip pieces the next day.

 

She spoke the truth, though. Rosalie wanted,  _needed_ to see Dandy before she left. They would drive down together, maybe with the top down and the warm wind blowing through their hair if the weather let up. Rosalie walked to his bed, turning the radio on a random station before crawling into bed. The music was interrupted by a weather bulletin, severe weather, and all that. As she lay there listening, she hoped Dandy was alright.

 

-

 

Rosalie was startled at the sound of the front door slamming downstairs. She shot up in bed, her eyes tired as the raging storm continued outside. The radio mentioned something about tornadoes in the area.

 

Rosalie felt her heart skip a beat when Gloria called out for the maid, and Rosalie, surprisingly. She slipped off the bed, ditching the radio as she ran to the door.

 

"We should probably take cover!" Gloria called. Rosalie walked to the banister, looking down and seeing both Motts, soaked to the bone. Ms. Johnson came scurrying toward them, which prompted Rosalie to walk down the stairs. Dandy had a sour look on his face that barely budged, even with Rosalie in his presence.

 

"Follow me, everyone remain calm," Gloria called, leading the way to what Rosalie assumed was the shelter. Dandy walked ahead, hardly sparing Rosalie a glance. She had to admit it hurt, plus she was terrified of tornadoes. Rosalie wanted comfort.

 

They took cover in the shelter, turning on the oil lamps and the weather radio on low. They sat in mostly silence as the wind whipped above them. Rosalie wrapped her arms around her legs, pressing her nose into her knee, hoping that her family back home was okay.

 

Dandy seemed to be growing impatient, sitting in his plaid suit and dress pants that were still dripping wet. Gloria watched him, a worried look on her face. Rosalie caught Gloria's eyes, who nodded towards her as if to say,  _snap him out of it_.

 

The only problem was Rosalie didn't know what happened. She didn't know what caused his mood this time. Rosalie wasn't even sure she felt comfortable showing any intimacy towards Dandy with his disapproving mother across from them.

 

They were there for quite a while until the reports finally stated it was clear to come out. Gloria went first, asking the maid to assist her in checking the house for damages. Rosalie stood up, cracking her bones with a satisfied hum.

 

Dandy stood up, finally shaking out of his soaked tuxedo. Rosalie watched him leave, wrapping her arms around herself now that the oil lamps were turned off, and she was alone.

 

She quickly followed them out, stepping into the house as Gloria and Ms. Johnson looked at the backyard to see that mostly tree limbs littered the garden.

 

"Dandy!" She called after him, practically running down the hall towards him as he stalked to the staircase. Gloria glanced back, seeing that woman chase her son.

 

Dandy walked upstairs but was quickly trailed behind by Rose, who was now as frustrated as ever. He didn't even pause at the sight of his open door, going right in and leaving it open.

 

Rosalie was practically out of breath when she finally stopped, just inches from his doorway as Dandy paused, seeing his slightly messy bed and the radio now playing a new romantic melody. He turned to look at her with a furrowed brow. "Were you in my room?"

 

Rosalie definitely regretted it now.  _You should have just watched television!_ She scolded herself. "I-Uhm,"

 

Dandy raised his eyebrow now, throwing his clothes into the hamper to be washed immediately. Rosalie couldn't even answer, too embarrassed and too full of anxiety.

 

"I'm sorry," she replied lamely, her eyes casting down to her feet. "I didn't mean to intrude."

 

Dandy dropped his suit jacket, a pout on his face. She knew that they had both been naked the day before, but when he removed the black undershirt beneath, Rosalie looked away. 

 

"Is everything okay?" she asked, nibbling on her lip. Rosalie winced, not noticing that they were slightly dry until now. 

 

"My mother set me up," he grumbled, "That doctor didn't want to test my genius IQ. She sent me to a  _shrink."_

 

Rosalie gave him a confused look, instantly noticing he now shrugged out of his pants and remained in just his underwear. Her cheeks turned a flush pink, reaching back to close the door, just in case.

 

"I'm not going back!" he seethed, going to the radio where he turned it off. "Regina would like nothing more than send me to the electric chair, my mother is delusional if she thinks I'm going to let that happen, she'll be sitting on my lap." 

 

Rosalie placed a hand over her heart, taking a deep breath. "Please don't talk like that!"

 

Dandy gave her a look, "Rosalie, Gloria has to kill her, it's the only way."

 

"I don't-" Rosalie took another breath. "I don't know what you want me to say, Dandy, truly."

 

Rosalie jumped when Dandy suddenly stood in front of her. He had the most charming yet terrifying smile on his face. "I love you, Rosalie  _Clara_ Greene," he sighed. Her cheeks flushed a darker shade of red. Dandy pressed his hands to her cheeks, his eyes softening at the look she was giving him. "You trust me, right?"

 

Rosalie could feel her heart beating so fast her chest began to ache. "I trust you."

 

"Good," he nodded, the hurt look in his eyes slowly fading to nothing as he continued gripping her face. Dandy tilted his head at her before he pressed a delicate kiss to her lips. Rosalie couldn't give in to him before he ended it, looking at her as if she had all the answers he needed. "If my mother doesn't take care of her, we will." 

 

 


	23. Someone Gets Hurt.

"That was a lovely performance."

 

Jimmy Darling turned at the sight of Rosalie smiling at him from the tent entrance. Her blue jumpsuit was vibrant against their drab surroundings. It made her look happy. He smiled, shrugging, "Thanks, though Elsa didn't seem to like it much."

 

Rosalie rolled her eyes, strolling up to the stage that Jimmy still stood on. She looked up at him, always smiling, "She's probably just jealous, you have a good voice, the song suits you."

 

He smiled wider, walking down the steps until they stood side by side. Jimmy had missed her a lot. "When did you get back?"

"Just in time to hear you practice. Dandy dropped me off before the other storm could move in."

 

"Are you two dating?" Jimmy asked, unable to keep the words from spilling out. Rosalie looked at him in surprise, her brown eyes confused as they walked side by side to exit.

"I'm really not sure," Rosalie sighed. "He told his mother we were, but he never formally asked."

 

"I guess that's how it is with Maggie and me,"

"Is everything alright with you two?" Rosalie asked, looking up at the darkening sky.

"We're just great," Jimmy smiled, seeing Maggie across the field at her small tent. She was talking to Richard Spencer. "I really like her."

 

Rosalie followed his gaze, "I'm really happy for you, Jimmy," she playfully punched his arm. He laughed, throwing an arm over her shoulders. "She's beautiful, and I've seen the way she looks at you, you know."

Jimmy pretended to make a disgusted face before sticking his tongue out at her, grinning when she gagged and swatted at him. "That's disgusting!"

 

"I just hope I don't mess it up, you know?" he sighed, still watching Maggie. "I never cared for someone like this before."

Rosalie went to assure him before the sight of Dandy caught her attention. Rosalie squinted at him, seeing him talking to Bette and Dot. She thought he had gone home.

"-Rosalie?"

"I-uhh, do you see Dandy over there, or am I just hallucinating?" Rosalie questioned.

 

Jimmy arched his neck, "I see him too. Are you oka-?" He paused when Rosalie started heading in their direction, "-Okay..." he followed after her, dodging the puddles of mud in the grassy field.

Rosalie had a pit in her stomach that she didn't understand. She could feel Jimmy beside her, and usually, that would have been a calming feeling. But something was off, and she wasn't sure being in his company was going to help.

 

Bette Tattler was a sweet girl, Rosalie knew this. She seemed to be somewhat entranced by Dandy, but that wasn't what was bothering Rose. It was the distasteful look on Dot's face the closer they got. She looked livid. Dot always seemed to have her guard up, not that she could be blamed for that. Rosalie just hoped Dandy didn't say something stupid, or offensive, or both.

 

Dandy gave Bette a wide grin before his eyes settled on the approaching figures. His smile faltered slightly at the sight of Jimmy, as he has not forgiven him for taking Rose away. It wouldn't be much longer until Rosalie was with him permanently, but for now, they were enemies. It was a pity that she seemed to like Jimmy so much, she talked about him frequently. "Rosalie! You brought a guest."

 

"I thought you went home?" Rosalie asked, her nervousness evident in her tone. Bette gave her a sweet smile before darting her eyes towards the ground. Dot settled her glare on Rosalie now, before kicking Bette in the leg.

"Ouch!" Bette hissed, "That hurt!"

 

"I was on my way when I saw these two lovely girls," Dandy gestured towards the twins. Bette smiled widely, while Dot still looked peeved. "I just introduced myself, Rose!"

Rosalie could almost laugh at the idea of being jealous of another woman. She liked to think that Dandy wouldn't be that type of man, despite being a serial killer in the making with slight mommy issues, he remained a man of loyalty. She heard Jimmy cough behind her before she felt his arms wrap around her shoulder again.

 

"Dot, are you alright?" he asked the twin, ignoring the look of hatred Dandy was throwing his way. Rosalie hated to admit it, but it made her feel smug.

"He called you a liar, Jimmy," Dot frowned, speaking the words slowly as if she were still trying to comprehend them herself. "Dandy said he caught the clown, not you."

 

Rosalie's face paled instantly, her eyes finding Dandy, who only gave her an innocent look. Jimmy straightened up beside her, gently squeezing her shoulders a bit. "What are you talking about?" he asked. It didn't dawn on him.

"Dandy is the real hero, Jimmy!" Bette smiled, "He saved all of those kids! Why didn't you mention he helped you?"

 

Jimmy frowned, his grip on Rosalie not moving in the slightest. Rosalie now felt like she was going to throw up. "Wait a minute, he wasn't even-" Jimmy suddenly stopped, and Rosalie could almost hear the gears turning in his head. She didn't even know what to say -  _ how to defend herself. _

"Bette, Dot, Rose..." he mumbled, "You need to come with me."

 

Bette and Dot stood up, Bette sporting a pout while Dot gave Rosalie a curious look. Dandy looked as if someone had kicked his dog, either regretting what he said or just not expecting this reaction. Rosalie was frozen in her spot, tears threatening to spill over as Dandy's selfishness just threatened the only life she knew.

"Rosalie is a grown woman, she can do as she pleases!" Dandy interjected, reaching out for her, only to have Jimmy whisk Rosalie away. Her frozen limbs stumbled, grabbing onto Jimmy to keep from falling into the mud.

 

"I think it's best if you leave," Jimmy hissed, releasing Rosalie and stepping in front of the three girls like a father bear protecting his cubs.  _ "Now." _

Dandy was seething, giving Rosalie a look of betrayal as she tried to comprehend what was going on. A tear slipped down her right cheek before the Tattler twins were pulling her away, towards the rest of the crew as they prepared for an early dinner. The last thing Rosalie saw was Dandy's own eyes filling with tears.

-

After a tense dinner between the Tattler twins, Rosalie, and Jimmy, Jimmy asked the girls to meet in their tent right after. Bette was brushing her hair in the mirror as Dot stared at her locked diary, leaving Rosalie to sit at the corner of their bed.

Jimmy stepped inside, his skin glistening from the fresh rain falling over Jupiter. He ran a hand through his wet brown hair, sighing deeply as the girls turned their attention on him.

"I'm not a liar-" Jimmy began.

"We know you're not," Dot reassured him. Bette began to pout, setting her brush down, "That man is just looking for attention."

Jimmy began to pace, "I may not remember much about that night- I got knocked out almost twice, but he tried to kill Maggie-"

 

His voice faded into an inaudible mumble as Rosalie came to realize he doesn't  _ remember _  her. She stared at him, her mouth hanging open as Dot spoke, whatever she was saying seemed to comfort Jimmy a bit.

"Rosalie, didn't you say you got hurt trick or treating?" Jimmy asked suddenly, turning to face her. Rosalie instantly closed her mouth.

 

"Y-yeah, that's when my nose was broken..."

"But they canceled trick or treating in Jupiter," Bette frowned at her.

 

Rosalie felt like she was going to throw up. "I got a bus to West Palm Beach, they took a bunch of us over, I hadn't gone since I was little, so I thought it would be fun." The words fell from her lips, flawlessly. She did see an AD in the morning paper Gloria left on the table that morning.

Jimmy nodded, and even the Tattler twins seemed to believe her. She hated lying.

 

"Rose, I think you need to stay away from him," Jimmy said. The twins shifted uncomfortably, especially Bette, who picked up the hairbrush to groom her already perfect do. Rosalie was taken aback, frowning at him.

"Wait a minute-" Rosalie went to interject.

 

"He is clearly psychotic, Rosalie!" Jimmy whispered. "He tried to kill Maggie; he  _ helped  _ kidnapped those kids."

Even though she knew his words were valid, Rosalie still found herself defending Dandy. She almost sounded like his own mother. "He likes to make stuff up, I don't know Jimmy, but this isn't even-"

 

"Guys-" Dot said.

"-Rose, you have to trust me on this-"

" _ Guys-"  _ Bette jumped in.

"What is all of this bickering about?"

 

The four adults turned, seeing Elsa Mars staring at them curiously. Rosalie was all red in the face, and Jimmy had a pained expression on his face.

"Nothing, Elsa," Jimmy said, "We're just discussing a new act for Rose and the girls."

 

"I wasn't born yesterday, boy," Elsa replied. "I saw you four talking to her new beau, then he stormed off like a child who got his toy taken away. I suspect that is you, Rosalie."

Rosalie looked at her with wide eyes, wishing she could just evaporate into thin air. She should have just stayed back at Mott manor or walked here.

 

"Now, are we going to talk like rational adults, or is this tent going to become a new daycare center?" Elsa chuckled to herself, though nobody found it funny.

"Jimmy was just telling him off for bringing me home a day late," Rosalie lied. Elsa turned to her, her lips pursed. Jimmy gave her a wide-eyed stare, but Rose ignored it. "Dandy is a bit sensitive, you see. He just took it the wrong way..."

 

Elsa stared at the four of them, seeing as Jimmy and the twins nodded in agreement. The blonde's eyes fell on Rosalie as if to test her. Rosalie stood her ground.

 

"I see... Keep it down, things are getting tense around here as is." Elsa huffed, before disappearing from sight.

 

Rosalie felt like her heart exploded in her chest.


	24. We're What Killed The Dinosaurs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> disclaimer: it gets a lil' steamy, and i apologize for the length!

Rosalie knew that Dandy was hurt by what happened.

But days turned into weeks, and now Christmas was fast approaching with little word from Dandy.

Rosalie assumed that Gloria was having a field day with her absence. Now that the few phones they had on camp were back to normal, Rosalie called the Mott manor every other day in hopes Dandy would pick up. It was always the maid, claiming, _" Mr. Mott is unable to come to the phone."_ and it got to the point where Rosalie wasn't prompted to leave a message before the line went dead.

 

She was becoming increasingly stressed as the days ticked by. The diamond he had given her never left her finger. It gleamed against the Florida sunlight, reminding Rosalie of him even when she tried to focus on something else.

Her friends soon caught on that something was wrong. Jimmy wouldn't admit it out loud, but he was happy that she was staying away from Dandy Mott.

Jimmy's memory was still hazy about the night of the attack, but he knew that the deranged man in the clown mask was Mott. He thought of the terrified kids who took off for help and remembered the sound of their screams for weeks afterward. Rosalie wasn't safe around him. Jimmy could keep her safe.

 

However, the troupe began to notice terrifying behavior in Rosalie.

Jimmy, Eve, and the Tattler twins were the most concerned for their friend. Rosalie had gotten closer to the twins after returning. Bette was a shoulder to lean on, and Dot was a voice of reason that perhaps it was best to break ties with Dandy.

 

The change in behavior started gradually; Rosalie began performing back in the show, but they were lackluster at best. She slipped up more, nearly falling thirty-feet, but somehow managed to grab the ropes again, nearly dislocating her shoulder in the process. Her already skinny frame became tauter, something that showed quickly when she was in uniform. Eve offered her small meals several times a day, yet Rosalie only accepted a few of them.

 

Maggie had started to notice things, as well. Jimmy seemed to pay more attention to Rosalie as the days dragged on. He would offer to take her into town for some fresh air, or he'd bring her back tons of junk food from the local diner in hopes she gained the weight she lost. It worked a few times. Rosalie had eaten two days' worth of diner food after not eating much for a few days but ended up getting physically ill after performing in the show.

 

Elsa seemed more concerned with Richard Stanley than the deteriorating health of one of her own. Jimmy was growing annoyed at the lack of support Elsa was giving Rosalie. He planned on sitting her down after Rose had gone to bed to demand what she planned on doing - Rosalie was slowly killing herself over a potentially dangerous man.

 

Maggie was smoking a cigarette when she spotted Jimmy making his way towards Rosalie's trailer. A rainstorm had made its way through Jupiter, and she laughed to herself as Jimmy slid around in the muddy grass before she approached him.

"Where are you heading off to?" Maggie questioned, taking a puff of a cigarette as Jimmy wiped his muddy boots off where the grass was more firm.

"I was just going to check on Rose-"

Maggie rolled her eyes, taking another puff, her eyebrows furrowing as Jimmy gave her a confused look, "Why are you rolling your eyes?"

 

"Don't be stupid, Jimmy," she frowned at him,  _"We're_ dating, okay? You and me. Everyone around here thinks we're just a fling, and being at her beck and call is only going to make things worse!"

"Maggie - Rosalie is my  _friend._ We're friends. Where is the crime in that?"

"You might be friends Jimmy, but you liked her even before I came along, I'm not stupid." Maggie didn't realize the rage she was holding in this entire time. "I want us to get out of here. I want your mother  _to approve_ of us building a life in another city, away from all of this."

 

Jimmy was becoming agitated. He wouldn't deny that he had a crush on Rosalie for the longest time. He was under the impression that she may have felt the same way at one point, even if it was only a minuscule feeling. Jimmy has accepted that they were probably not destined to be together, and it didn't quite bother him as long as he had Maggie in his life.

"I understand, Maggie, I do. I-I don't understand what is so hard for  _you_ to understand that I'm their leader. I care about Rosalie, whether you like that or not. You see what is going on here, and if you think I'm just going to sit by and watch this happen, especially after I told you about Meep, I-" he shook his head, glaring at her now. He started heading for the trailer again.

 

Maggie angrily stomped out her cigarette, "SHE WANTS TO BE WITH HIM, WHY NOT JUST LET HER GO?" she yelled after him. Jimmy stopped in his tracks, seeming to debate something in his head. Paul slowly peeked his head around the corner of the nearest tent he had been standing by, quietly observing their quarrel.

Jimmy ended up walking away, leaving Maggie standing there alone.

 

As Paul wandered back to the food tent to wash up for dinner, Jimmy's piercing yell startled him and the others out of their wits. Eve dropped the bucket of cabbage she was washing when Jimmy stumbled into Ethel, who started running to find her son.

"Rosalie isn't here!" he panted, leaning against his mothers' plump figure.

 

"That's not possible, I just saw her taking a walk moments ago!" Ethel tried to comfort her son, who sat down at the picnic table, still out of breath from running. Eve and Pepper were scooping up the now wasted cabbage and tossing it into the trash can.

"She's gone," Jimmy shook his head, reaching into the pocket of his jeans and pulling out a now crumpled note. Maggie had rushed over after hearing the commotion, despite the puffiness in her eyes. She stood by Desiree, who had been assisting in preparing dinner.

 

Ethel had taken the note from Jimmy, glancing around at everyone as she read through it silently. The others were becoming anxious at what it said. Paul finally said, "Well, come on! What does it say?"

Ethel glared at him before tightening her hold on Jimmy, who seemed to have calmed down.

 

_"To Jimmy, or whoever finds this first,"_ Ethel began;

_I needed to leave for a bit. I know most of you do not approve of my relationship with Dandy. I was confused about him for weeks. But I need to make this right. I've lived my entire life alone without the comfort of another person. I never saw myself as the type to ever want the presence of a man, I never sought for it until now. Even if this does not work out, I cannot stand by knowing I didn't even try. If I am not back by nightfall, please do not be alarmed. I will be safe at the Mott household. Dandy will take care of me. I will call tomorrow._

_Love,_

_Rosalie_

 

Ethel gave the note to Jimmy, who sighed deeply. "We best let her go, Jimmy,"

Jimmy shook his head, looking at the troupe, "I don't like him, ma!"

"Jimmy, Rosalie is a grown woman, you have to respect her decisions." Eve gently scolded him. The others quietly muttered their agreement, but Jimmy was not having it. He stood up, backing up and looking all of them in the eyes one by one.

"Fine!" Jimmy threw his hands up, "I'll leave her alone. But the moment he steps out of line, I'm the one getting her out of it!" he stormed off.

 

-

Rosalie had made the trek from the grounds to the driveway of Mott manor right as the sun began to set. There was a thin layer of sweat on her skin, and her feet and calves were aching. She propped herself up on a boulder that sat in one of the many gardens, sighing in relief being able to sit down. The Mott manor was barely peeking out within the trees.

"Just a few more minutes." she breathed to herself, allowing a few more seconds of rest before she continued walking. The house seemed to be closed up already, but she could tell the dining room lights were on.

 

Rosalie was apprehensive when she approached the door, wondering if she should knock. It's polite, but what if Gloria answered? She'd be kicked off the property in no time. At least if the maid answered, she'd have a chance to talk her way in. She didn't want to think of what may happen if Dandy answered the door and was still upset at her.

Rosalie tried the knob, not wanting to stir to draw too much attention to herself. It was locked.

 

"Fuck!" she hissed, rearranging her bag that was digging uncomfortably into her shoulders. Rosalie had to suck it up now. She raised her hand and knocked, knowing after this journey, she probably looked like shit. Rosalie smirked at the idea of what Gloria would say.

The person who opened the door, however, was not the maid, neither any of the Motts. Rosalie recognized her instantly; long brown hair with a gentle curl and steely gray eyes that could see right through your soul. Not only was she taken aback seeing Angelina Andrews, but the fact that someone other than residents of the house answered the door.

 

Rosalie wasn't the only one who remembered.

 

"I remember you," Angelina smiled, yet it didn't touch her eyes. "You were here for the winter ball."

Rosalie nodded, noticing that her throat was parched.

 

"It's a shame that you and Dandy didn't work out, you two looked so sweet together," Angelina went on, her voice fading out as Rosalie noticed the impeccable way she was dressed- her fathers' wealth suited her. The dress alone had to cost years worth of Rosalie's own pay.

 

"- Are you here for something? Gloria didn't mention you were still on speaking terms..."

 

Rosalie's nose twitched at the mention of her name.

"Angelina, dear, who is at the door!?"

 

Rosalie straightened her posture when Gloria Mott came into view. She took one look at Rosalie in her Bermuda shorts and yellow blouse, and Rosalie instantly regretted coming here.

"You have a lot of nerve showing up here!" Gloria scolded, almost knocking Angelina out of the way by trying to squeeze closer. "Especially after what you did to my son."

"I didn't-"

 

Ms. Johnson suddenly appeared behind the two girls, seeing Rosalie and her face instantly paled. Rosalie stared at her, causing Gloria and Angelina to do the same.

"Mrs. Mott, he's coming!" the maid hissed, this time ignoring Rosalie's helpless gaze and trotting off towards the kitchen.

 

"Leave at once!" Gloria gave her a final glare before slamming the door in her face. Angelina looked strangely titillated yet confused as the door cut off their contact. The porch light was turned off for dramatic effect.

"LET ME IN!" Rosalie yelled, starting to pound on the door. She never imagined doing this, ever. "DANDY!" she yelled, "DANDY! PLEASE TALK TO ME!!"

 

There was a ruckus on the other side of the door when she stopped knocking, an array of voices yelling at each other. Rosalie's heart was pounding in her chest as the door swung back open, revealing Dandy, who had an intense look on his face.

"Rosalie?" he questioned, ignoring the angry shouts of Gloria off in the other room threatening to call the police.

 

She was at a loss for words as he stared her down, the once twinkle he had in his eyes when he looked at her was no longer there. It wasn't even close to their first official meeting when she showed up to his house after being invited by Gloria when he was excited to be in her company. Now there was just... nothing.

"Dandy, I'm sorry, could we please talk?" she tried.

 

Dandy was usually so charismatic, but tonight Rosalie didn't recognize him. He glanced at the ground, before opening the door the rest of the way and stepping out. Rosalie's heart was beating fast now, looking up at him with teary eyes. Dandy sighed, tears prickling his eyes as he pressed a gentle hand to her cheek.

 

"I think you need to leave," he whispered. Rosalie shook her head, ready to  _beg_  him not to send her away just yet.

 

_YOU'RE SO PATHETIC_

 

"Dandy! You can't!-"

 

Dandy grabbed her roughly, pressing her into his chest, "Go to the gardens out back, sit in the grass, away from the house so they can't see you." he whispered roughly, before shoving her back just enough to create a distance. "LEAVE! I DON'T WANT YOU! I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU, I HATE YOU!" he cried; the horrible man-child Rosalie had seen so many times finally making an appearance for _her._

 

Rosalie backed away, her heart blossoming at the idea of having a second chance, yet it was almost masked by his angry words. Rosalie sniffled loudly, making her way down the driveway until she heard the front door slam shut. When she thought she was safe, she took a detour, running in the dark towards the back of the house like requested.

-

 

Rosalie had no idea how long she had been waiting when quiet footsteps made their way towards her. Her heart lurched in her chest, sitting up from the little spot she made in the grass. Dandy's shadowy face glanced down at her, before sinking into the place next to her.

 

Rosalie had started to shiver in her blouse; she didn't expect to be locked outside. She realized Dandy had something in his hand when he draped an expensive jacket over her shoulders without a word.

 

"Thank you," Rosalie said.

"Why did you come here, Rose?" Dandy questioned, staring off into the distance. The woods could be scary at night. He could almost hear her heart racing beside him.

 

Rosalie shook her head, "Why do you think, Dandy? I've been calling you for weeks now. Your maid always said you were busy."

"I have been busy," he retorted, "My mother invited Angelina to be my date to cotillion. I've had to shower the girl with gifts just to have a few moments to myself. I don't even like her that much." Dandy rolled his eyes.

 

"Why don't you tell your mother that?" Rosalie asked.

 

"Rose, she doesn't like you, and she is trying to get me to marry Angelina," he pouted, still focusing on their surroundings instead of her. "In a fit of rage, I told her I had been betrayed when you walked off with Jimmy Darling instead of me. She tried to convince me it was the best for me, for my  _'family',"_ Dandy scoffed. "She'd rather live her dreams through me than allow me to do whatever I want."

 

"Dandy, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings," Rosalie whispered, feeling her eyes prickle, but thankfully no tears yet. "You caught me off guard, you can't tell them  _anything_ about what you've been doing, Dandy! This isn't just you anymore, it's me too."

 

Dandy finally looked at her, and she could tell even in the moonlight that he had an irritated look on his face. "How is the world supposed to know a God is living among them, Rosalie?" he started to glare, "I have found my purpose, Rose. I was put on Earth to bring death, I have never felt this _good_  before now!"

 

Rosalie was now convinced she had no morals. "Some things are just best-kept secret, Dandy,"

Dandy sighed deeply, his fingers digging into his pants as he began to feel restless beside her.

 

"If you want me to stay with you, you can't bring this stuff around my family, okay?" she tried to reason with him. "I'm in too deep now, and this can get the both of us killed!" she explained, becoming more urgent and quite frankly, scared.

"I'd never let anyone hurt you," he mumbled.

 

"Are you still upset with me?" Rosalie asked gently, finally feeling the warmth of his jacket. She snuggled into it.

 

Dandy shrugged, "I was angry for a long time. I chose the wrong people to impress." he looked down at her. "I never felt remorse before I met you, not even a little bit."

Rosalie had a feeling that was Dandy's way of apologizing. He had an awkward look on his face, and she decided not to push him.

 

They sat in the crisp air in silence, and eventually, the two moved closer together. Dandy could just make out the outline of her nose, and her luscious lips that he hadn't felt in weeks. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, bringing her closer into his side as the temperature kept dropping.

 

Dandy knew that tomorrow was the day.

But tonight was something else entirely.

 

"Rosalie?" he questioned.

"Yes?" she responded.

 

"I would like us to have sex if that's alright with you," he said without a care in the world.

Rosalie looked at him, expecting him to smirk at her and insist that it was only a joke. Only the look in his eyes proved that she was mistaken; he was dead serious.

"D-Do, you even know how to have sex?" she whispered her response.

 

Dandy looked puzzled but took a few seconds to think of an appropriate answer. "I wouldn't expect it to be hard."

Rosalie sighed, "It has to be, Dandy."

Dandy rolled his eyes at her joke, dropping his arm as she playfully nudged his side, grinning. "Can we?" he asked, placing a hand on her thigh like he did so long ago on the carousel.

 

"You don't want to wait until marriage, Mr. Mott?" Rosalie teased him. "What would your mother say about your transgressions?" she continued on, succeeding in making him laugh.

"Our love is God, Rosalie," he said, moving to where he was now kneeling in front of her. He grabbed her legs, spreading them out and sliding her towards him. Rosalie squeaked, instinctively digging her nails into the grass below. "I started this war, and we will finish it," he hummed, running his hand along her hips. "We're what killed the dinosaurs, my love,"

 

"Dandy, are we doing this out here?" Rosalie asked, feeling her shirt dampen underneath her. She started to feel self-conscious when she remembered she had been hot and sweaty earlier. She sat up, causing Dandy to recoil his hands, pouting.

"It's not ideal..." he said, before standing up, pulling her up with him. He was ever so gentle.

 

"We can't wake up your mother, or your guest," Rosalie said bitterly.

Dandy decided it was best to wait to tell her the big surprise.

"I don't think that will be a problem, Rosalie," he grinned; it was almost sinister as he stared up at the dark house. "Follow me, I want this to be memorable for both of us."

 

And so she followed him, creeping into the foyer that led to the cellar and the room where Rosalie's ropes were still hanging. Their footsteps were light, and they managed to make it pretty far into the house until shuffling from the kitchen caused Dandy to push her into another room.

Rosalie's adrenaline was all over the place. Dandy quietly switched on a lamp, revealing another guest bedroom was had been vacant for years. The bed had no sheets or pillows, and the bathroom door was cracked open.

 

"Who do you think is out there?" Rosalie asked.

"I'm sure it's my mother..." he said. Rosalie was finally able to see the intensity in his eyes as he stared her up and down, swallowing at the idea of making her his. Dandy never had the urge to be intimate with another woman, he almost detested the idea before this. He watched as she shyly shrugged out of the jacket, placing it neatly against one of the only other pieces of furniture in the room.

 

Dandy quietly locked the door, refusing to take his eyes from her. Rosalie almost felt like prey under his gaze. This was a different Dandy, she was sure of it. It felt like he was going to lunge at any moment.

"There's no sheets..." Rosalie laughed a little.

Dandy went to the closet, yanking down an armful of blankets. He tossed the heap onto the mattress, figuring they'd need them for after. Rosalie finally moved beside him, both adults staring down at the bed they were about to ruin.

 

"I've only done this once." Rosalie breathed out. Dandy felt so tall beside her now.

"I'll take care of you, Rosalie," he smiled softly, before turning to face her, urging her to do the same. He ran his hand up her blouse, brushing across her breasts before gripping her face. Her brown eyes widened, a small sigh escaping her lips when he kissed her.

 

Rosalie's heart continued to race in her chest when they eventually scrambled their way onto the bed. In the back of her mind, she couldn't erase the thought of Gloria angrily pounding on the door if they got caught.

 

_She'll get over it, she's horrible to you._

 

Dandy was rather clumsy when it came to undressing her. Rosalie had laughed at him only to be met with a scowl. They both had managed to lose their tops, and Dandy had somehow knocked an old clock off the bedside table. It hit the floor with a loud _clang!_

 

They both stalled, giving each other amused looks. Dandy sat upon his knees, grabbing her waist and pulling her up. "Wrap yourself around me," he whispered. Rosalie complied, winding her arms around his neck and hugging him with her legs.

Dandy grabbed some of the blankets with one hand and spread them out on the floor. Rosalie held on tightly as he did his best to spread them out before he carefully laid her down. There was a chill to the air once they separated, and Rosalie covered her bare chest with her arms.

 

Everything after that went by in a blur. They removed their clothes entirely, Rosalie now desperate to keep Dandy close for the warmth. He seemed nervous now, his hands gripping her all over the place while they rolled around on the floor. Whenever they'd quietly laugh or sigh in pleasure, the other would cover their mouth.

 

When it was time, Rosalie gripped his length in her hand and helped him find the way. Dandy had placed both hands alongside her head, their noises barely touching when he pushed inside. Rosalie's nose scrunched after so many years of being celibate. She could feel his firm stomach trembling against hers. Rosalie wrapped her arms around his neck, nudging his cheek with her nose. "Please go," she whined.

 

Once they had found the perfect pace, Dandy was unable to keep from talking. He was so caught up in the perfection that was the love of his life that he would forget everything he was saying the next morning. He praised his love for her directly in her ear, eventually unable to hold himself above her any longer. Rosalie pulled him down tight, breathing heavily as his weight almost crushed her.

 

"You're the only thing that's right about this broken world," he grunted as he neared his first release. "We're going to burn it down, Rosalie, the both of us." he started to whine. Rosalie was already a few steps ahead of him, ready to release along with him. She was surprised  _she_  had even lasted this long.

 

Dandy barely caught himself as he moaned through his release. He cupped a hand over Rosalie's mouth when she went to cry out his name. Their legs simultaneously trembled as Dandy put the rest of his weight on her, sighing when she resumed her tight grip around his neck.

 

"Go to sleep," Dandy mumbled in her ear as they lay limp against each other.

 


	25. Dreadful Etiquette, I Apologize.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> disclaimer; slight violence (this is ahs after all)  
> in this chapter.

Dandy had awoken early the following day, disoriented when he realized he wasn't in his bedroom. It wasn't until he saw the top of Rosalie's head peeking out from one of the blankets he remembered what transpired.

 

He sat up slowly, discarding the thin blanket that was tangled around his legs. Dandy gathered his clothes, sliding on his pants as he listened for any movement throughout the house. The sun was just starting to peek in through the windows. The maid would be up any moment preparing breakfast.

 

Rosalie was still dead to the world, and Dandy wondered if he should wake her up. They had a long day in front of them. They were finally free to be together.

 

Dandy decided to let her sleep. He quietly made the trek up to his bedroom, sneaking past the guest bedroom that now belonged to Angelina temporarily. Dandy needed to be careful; Gloria couldn't know Rosalie was here until the right moment.

 

Dandy gathered a few things, including an outfit for Rosalie to wear for the occasion. Since Angelina took her room, Dandy made sure to get Rose's things before his mother could throw it out. He started to rush, wanting to get back downstairs before Rosalie could leave him. 

 

Rosalie was stirring awake when Dandy slipped through the door. She had hid herself back under the blanket instinctively, before realizing she was safe to come out. Dandy had an armful of things, and she started to get up and help him. 

 

"-I got it," Dandy shooed her away, dumping the armload on the bare mattress. Rosalie observed with tired eyes, seeing clothes and toiletries. 

 

The two adults had a glow to them. 

 

"What time is it?" Rosalie asked with a yawn. 

 

"It's just after six," Dandy replied, reaching down and helping her from the floor. The blankets fell from her nude figure, but Dandy did his best not to stare. He gave her a large smile, this time running his hands along her bare arms.

 "Rosalie, today is going to be the most fabulous day! I can feel it." he said excitedly, before gesturing to the things he brought down. "We need to wash up so we can start the day." 

Dandy gathered everything back in his arms, heading towards the bathroom. Rosalie assumed that he didn't want to talk about the night before and followed him inside. Dandy placed everything neatly on an empty towel rack that sat just above a large tub. 

 

"How'd you sleep?" Rosalie asked, before frowning at the awkwardness on her part. Dandy was cheerful as he responded, starting to fill the tub.

 

"It was the best sleep I've had in ages, I hardly had any time to be excited!" he continued on, talking about going into town for 'business'. Rosalie was secretly pleased when he asked her to come along. 

 

"Ladies first," Dandy said, gesturing to the tub. Rosalie brushed past him, barely tipping a toe inside. It was just right, he must have remembered her sensitive skin the first time.  _This tub was bigger than the one upstairs._ Just like the first time, Dandy climbed in behind her, but he all but forced her to face him this time as she sat with a leg on each side of him. 

 

Dandy gripped the hand that still housed his ring. Rosalie refused to take it off, despite the annoyance of Jimmy back home. He admired the quality, thinking about the perfect time to ask for her hand. The water just barely covered Rosalie's waist, which caused her to shiver.

 

"We have some things to discuss," Dandy started, dropping her hand and using his own to rub water onto Rosalie's shoulders and chest, almost like a massage. Rosalie sighed in content. "It's important for the both of us."

 

"What is it?" she asked, her head rolling back enough to expose her throat to him. Dandy temporarily wondered what it would be like to put a knife to it. He ditched the thought immediately, shaking his head as he continued to touch her skin.

 

"For this relationship to work you need to get your hands dirty," he said, ignoring the frightened look she gave him. "Now hear me out, I don't want you to kill anybody." 

_yet_

"But if you're going to be the women I share my life with, Rose, then I need to know you can handle it."

 

"What are you asking of me?" Rosalie asked warily, letting out a light gasp when he pulled her down, their chests now touching.

 

"There is something that needs to be done. If you help me, it's one step closer to the both of us being together, forever." Dandy sighed dreamily, glancing from her face down to her chest. 

"Are you asking me to watch you kill someone?" Rosalie asked flat out. 

 

"You're going to observe, yes," Dandy gave her a smirk this time. "I have just the place. Now I want to let them hear you."

 

"What?" Rosalie asked, bewildered when Dandy lifted her up, slipping inside of her and settling her on his lap. Rosalie's mouth fell open, gripping him tightly when Dandy grabbed her hips in his hands.

_-_

After their escapade in the tub, Rosalie and Dandy had snuck out of the house. Gloria had just been rousing from sleep when the couple sped away in his car, wearing matching colors. 

 

Rosalie still had no idea where they were going, but she was anxious, wondering what it would be like to see Dandy in action. She winced at her choice of words. Rosalie glanced at him from the passenger seat, watching his unwavering concentration on the road. 

 

It was strange. He was a killer, he took lives of the innocent, the two she was aware of. Dora and a guy named Andy, the same guy on the missing posters before Thanksgiving. He did these terrible things and yet she wanted to be with him. Just looking at him now made her heart race; not of fear, or anxiety, but love. The same guy who tried buying her months ago. 

 

Since it was early, they stopped for a meal. Rosalie had restless feet when it came to meals, so she accidentally kicked Dandy a few times. She apologized profusely, especially after all of the irritating looks Dandy threw her way. However, he really didn't mind. He liked her quirks. 

Dandy bought Rosalie all of the food her heart desired. He noticed her thinning figure and wanted to take care of her. They stayed at the restaurant for a few hours, drinking coffee and sharing a newspaper until Dandy was ready to go. It was now nearing noon when they left, heading for their destination. 

 

They had driven to a middle-class neighborhood in the middle of Jupiter. Rosalie had never been here, and as Dandy parked on the side of the road, she looked around and noticed there were no children, nor adults outside. It was almost desolate.

 

"Why did you pick here?" Rosalie questioned as Dandy turned off the car, allowing an arm to rest behind her head. 

 

"I told you, it's the first step of allowing us to be together," Dandy responded, his hand curling around her right shoulder. Rosalie didn't understand what it meant, mainly because she didn't know anyone who lived here. It was definitely not where the Andrew family lived.

 

**BACK AT CAMP...**

 

Richard Stanley and Elsa Mars stood around a makeshift grave. This time it was for Ethel Darling who killed herself in a gruesome car accident. The stared down at the final resting place with stoic expressions. The tiny grave of Ma Petite was just a few spots down.

 

"It was for the best," Elsa said for the hundredth time in the past twelve hours. "I had to protect my monsters."

 

Meanwhile, Maggie had been looking for Jimmy for hours. Ever since their fight they had slept in their own beds, and after discovering Ethel's body that morning, he had disappeared right after the funeral service.

 

"Desiree!" Maggie called, running towards the lovely, three-breasted woman still dabbing her eyes. "Have you seen Jimmy?" 

 

"Not since this morning, you best leave that boy alone and let him grieve!" Desiree wagged a finger in her face, before continuing to eat her light breakfast. Maggie turned to Pepper, who only gave a shrug and ate her cereal. Maggie scoffed, stalking off in the opposite direction. 

 

 

Rosalie was playing with the hem of her dress as Dandy kept a watchful eye on the house he was about to turn upside down. He had a plan to distract Rosalie once that Darling boy finally left. 

 

As if it were fate, the front door swung open, and Jimmy Darling stumbled out in his drunken stupor. 

Dandy quickly gripped the back of Rosalie's head, bringing her in for a deep kiss. 

 

Rosalie, taken by surprise yet again, mewled into his mouth. Dandy  _almost_  felt bad for using her as he kept one eye on Jimmy, who all but ran (and somehow managed to stay upwards) down the sidewalk and around the corner, out of sight. Dandy allowed himself to enjoy the feeling of her lips just a moment more before he pulled away, leaving her breathless.

 

"It's time for the real show to begin..." Dandy mumbled as he got out of the car. Rosalie had unbuckled her seatbelt, grabbing the hand Dandy had offered her as they walked up to the house. Rosalie could feel a lump in her throat as Dandy politely knocked.

 

"Follow my lead, and don't be frightened, my love." Dandy gently cooed before the door swung open. A woman wearing a floral dress and bright makeup answered, a look of relief washing over her face. She smiled at Dandy, barely glancing at Rosalie as Dandy complimented the color of her dress. 

 

"I'm sorry, our car just broke down, would you mind if I used your telephone to call the auto club?" Dandy asked, charming his way right into this women's house. "I'd be happy to pay you for the call." 

 

"Oh nonsense!" the woman laughed, opening the door wider for them, "Come right on in."

 

"Thank you," Dandy smiled, giving Rosalie a gentle nudge. They made their way into the house, where five other ladies were sitting around a table of veggies and Tupperware. 

 

"Ladies, this kind gentleman would like to use our phone!" the owner of the house chirped, smiling a little too brightly at the idea of having a younger man in her house. "Please be courteous to our guests." she led Dandy into the kitchen, showing him where the phone was. Dandy turned, giving Rosalie a wink as he disappeared. 

 

"Why, he is mighty handsome," the youngest of the group giggled, looking at Rosalie, "Is he yours?"

 

Rosalie cracked a smile, "Yeah, for a few months now," she confirmed.

 

One of the older ladies snickered, placing a hand over her lipstick covered mouth. Rosalie looked at her with a furrowed brow, wondering what was so funny. The girl Rosalie had just talked to asked the woman named LeAnn the same question.

 

"This world is going to - pardon my language, Eliza,  _shit!_ " LeAnn cackled, clapping her hands together. "Sweetie, you look like you belong on a street corner begging for change!"

 

"LeAnn!" Eliza gasped, "That is incredibly rude!" 

 

LeAnn rolled her eyes, yet it seemed only Eliza was on Rosalie's side. The other girls remained silent, refusing to look her in the eyes and even giggling as LeAnn went on her rant. 

"Elizabeth, look at her! She's clearly wearing his money, there is no class in the way she is dressed, her hair is boring, her nails are boring, ugh!" 

 

"Sweetie, please try a little a harder next time," a brunette said. LeAnn cackled, praising her jab and referring to her as  _Celine._

 

Rosalie felt her blood boiling; she looked at all of the girls laughing at her expense. She had never felt this way before, not even performing at a freak show made her feel like this. The girls threw taunts at her, all the way from her looks, and even attacking what they assumed was her heritage. 

_Maybe you're not really a freak_

 

The girls laughing in the other room drowned out the sound of Dandy throwing the now deceased woman into the pool, sighing deeply at the feeling of being able to kill again. He heard the commotion and quickly washed his hands in the pool water. Not a speck of blood on his clothes yet. He dried his hands on one of the pool towels thrown over the chair, before sauntering his way inside. 

 

He could see Rosalie through the doorway that separated the sitting room and the kitchen. She looked angry, he noticed. Dandy stood back, trying to hear what the others were saying through their intense laughter. 

 

Rosalie had no idea what happened next.

 

One moment she was frozen in her spot and the next she attacked, punching the older woman directly in the face. Her glasses cracked from the force, and her nose was now bent at an awkward angle. LeAnn yelled out in pain, clutching her bloody nose as the others screamed, scrambling up to avoid being drenched in blood.

 

Dandy strolled in, observing the scene as if he had just walked in to a tea party. He took one look at Rosalie's bloody hand and smirked. Rosalie turned to him, a look on her face that would even terrify Satan himself. 

 

"Do it." she said.

 

- 

Rosalie carried the cloth bag of Tupperware up the stairs into Dandy's room. She had narrowly dodged Ms. Johnson, and Angelina Andrews was nowhere to be seen. Dandy promised he'd be up in a moment, he wanted to show Gloria something first.

 

Rosalie sniffled, sitting on his bed and observing her hand that now had bruised knuckles and was covered in blood. The past hour and a half seemed like a blur in her mind.

 

 Dandy had made sure to give LeAnn the best treatment out of all six women he had slaughtered. Rosalie remained numb to the fact that her boyfriend (if you could call him that) showed her his favorite ways of stabbing a human's flesh, before draining their blood in some Tupperware for later. Rosalie could still hear their screams as Dandy chased them around the house. 

 

_Rosalie watched another body go into the pool. Dandy had the happiest look on his face as blood now coated his sweater, and he gave Rosalie a wink as he grabbed the bloody knife sitting on the pool chair. Eliza was the next to go, and Rosalie had to look away, knowing her kindness wasn't enough to keep her alive._

 

_Out of the corner of her eye, a figure darted past them and into the kitchen. Dandy had noticed too, watching with wide eyes as Celine made a run for it. He had Eliza on her knees, ready to slash her throat when Rosalie flew by him, chasing her down._

 

_Rosalie couldn't even think of anyone else but Dandy as Celine yelled for help, attempting to block Rosalie's way by throwing down dinner trays in the kitchen. Rosalie jumped over them easily, before ramming her body into Celine's back. The two girls fell to the floor, both now screaming as they tried to defend themselves._

 

_Celine had kicked Rosalie in the stomach, causing her to fall back, gasping for air. Celine scrambled to her feet but didn't get far as Rosalie managed to grab her and trip her. As many times as she got the wind knocked out of her from performing helped build some stamina._

_"GET OFF ME!" Celina yelled as Rosalie crawled up her body, shielding her face from the punches and scratches Celina tried to give her._

 

_**Dandy, where are you?** _

 

_Rosalie yelled in pain when Celina really clawed her, leaving red marks down her arm, which had then started to prickle with blood._

_"HELP! HELP ME!" Celina yelled, before she bucked Rosalie off. They knocked over the table of Tupperware, the sounds of plastic temporarily blocking out their yelling.  
_

 

_Rosalie was laying on the floor as Celina scrambled to her feet, tripping over the rug and the plastic containers as she fled once again to the front door. Rosalie noticed a cutting knife on the coffee table they had been using to cut their appetizers. She grabbed it, wincing when her bruised belly protested the action of standing up._

 

_Almost like it were a movie, Celina had tripped over one of the tables in the hall. The sound of broken glass and pained cries were heard as Rosalie approached her, her hand shaking while holding the knife._

 

_"Oh God, oh God," Celina cried on the floor. Rosalie noticed her ankle was twisted, making her audibly gag._

 

_Dandy had approached Rosalie from behind, laying a gentle hand on her back. Rosalie jumped, her arm now bleeding from the scratches. Dandy smiled at her resilience and determination to protect him. Celina wailed as Dandy pressed a delicate kiss to Rosalie's forehead before taking the knife from her._

 

A new round of screams knocked Rosalie out of her thoughts. Gloria must have been tending to her garden, as she could hear perfectly through the open windows.

 

"Dandy what have you done!?" she cried out, and then Rosalie couldn't hear anymore.

 

Rosalie knew she was in some sort of shock. She had almost killed a woman, she would have if Dandy had never taken the knife from her. She punched an older woman in the nose. Rosalie wondered if it was the emotional toil taking over, but...

 

She didn't feel as bad as she thought she would. 

 

_No, don't be ridiculous - you're in shock by what happened, you were just protecting Dandy._

 

Rosalie blocked those thoughts out. She couldn't think like that, she was a good person, she  _had_ to be a good person. 

 

Dandy had finally come up, only wearing his underwear, drenched in blood. Rosalie stood up at the sight of him as he stared her up and down, an almost exhausted look on his face. It eventually turned into a smirk as he walked further in, leaving a trail of blood in his wake.

 

"My love, you were..." Dandy was back to his normal self, a dreamy look in his eyes as he beckoned her to come forward. She did. "Words cannot describe how I feel for you right now, Rosalie Greene, I am so  _proud!"_

 

Dandy finally seemed to notice something was off when she barely acknowledged what he said. Dandy frowned, releasing her hand and walking back to lock the door. She had been silent the entire ride home while Dandy blared Cole Porter on the radio. 

 

"Rosalie, talk to me, love," he came back, almost forgetting the blood drying all over his body. Rosalie stared at him, her brown eyes almost cold as Dandy noticed how bad her arms were beaten up. He observed the defensive wounds she sustained, specifically Celina's nails that shredded her skin. Then her hand, that was becoming bruised from the assault on the one woman's nose. 

 

"Dandy, could you run me a bath?" she asked, her voice soft and endearing. 

 

"Of course, darling," he said, "Sit down for me, Rose," he said, helping her sit on her bottom as he scrambled to get the water running. It was then he realized the deep red blood covering his body would be the perfect excuse to keep her company. When the tub was full, Rosalie had managed to wiggle out of her dress, before Dandy allowed her to sit in the tub alone for a bit before joining her.

 

Dandy had carefully washed her body, being mindful of her bruised belly and the marks everywhere else. Rosalie had finally started coming around when Dandy turned the radio on low volume before he got inside. They listened to Christmas music as Dandy assured her he'd take care of her, once again signifying his love and devotion for her. 

 

"I almost killed that girl," Rosalie said as Dandy ran his fingers along her back, using the bubbles as if they were ink. "She almost got away from me," Rosalie frowned.

 

"But she didn't. It's survival of the fittest, Rose," he assured her. "We won, and we can do it again if we need too."

 

"Dandy, please promise me that you'll lay low for a while, I'm afraid if you rush it will catch up to you."

 

Dandy agreed, but he intended only to avoid searching for someone to kill. At least for now, if it gave Rosalie some peace of mind, he'd allow it. She was strong yet it was clear she needed a few more pushes. 

 

He knew his time was running out to kill his mother. She'd be gone, and hopefully, Regina would want to stay as a confidant. Dandy just needed the perfect excuse to end Gloria's life, something that would be satisfying to him and worth while. 

 

As Rosalie curled up on his chest, he held her and decided he was wrong that he had doubted her for even a second. Rosalie was just as now devoted to him as he was her. Dandy knew that as long as they were together, the world was going to burn, and they'd rebuild the perfect life as one. 

 


	26. You're No Longer My Concern.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> disclaimer; the steam is back

 

 

 

Whatever Dandy had planned the next day, it fell right into his lap.

 

He had unwillingly continued to visit Dr. Feinbloom, knowing that the trips wouldn't last much longer after Gloria's demise. His last visit before Rosalie came back consisted of talking about cannibalism and bathing in blood. Dandy was eager to bathe in more blood, but after startling Gloria and Rosalie the day before, he decided it was best to wait just a little bit longer.

 

Rosalie had woken up that morning with a headache after spending the entire night tossing and turning in Dandy's bed. He had been startled awake a majority of the night by her whimpering and twitching limbs. Dandy didn't have much experience in comforting another person, but once she woke up a quarter to four with tears in her eyes, Dandy brought her into his chest and stroked her hair as she cried the stress away. He felt terrible that she wasn't on his level yet.

 

Dandy had brought her breakfast in bed, mainly to keep Gloria from knowing she was there. Angelina had been sent back home the night before, after Dandy insisted he grew tired of her company. Gloria unwillingly sent her away, Angelina asking about sending out wedding invitations for a ceremony that was never going to happen. Dandy couldn't feel sorry for her stupidity.

 

After breakfast, Dandy took Rosalie into the bathroom while Ms. Johnson cleared the plates. She didn't seem to question the crazy amount of food Dandy requested. Rosalie brushed her teeth and took some medicine for her pounding head as Dandy mentally prepared for the day.

 

"Do you want to talk about last night?" Dandy had asked, looking at her as she sat on the toilet, rubbing her head.

"I was having nightmares," Rosalie said.

 

"About what?" Dandy pressed a frown on his face.

 

"Everything felt real, I don't think it's going to be what you expected, Dandy," she told him, standing up and standing next to him as he tidied up his hair.

"Try me, Rosalie,"

 

She shuffled uncomfortably next to him, keeping her eyes glued on his head as Dandy neatly brushed it out. Rosalie liked that he had such thick hair.

"Rose?" Dandy said, his tone curt.

 

Rosalie closed her eyes, "I dreamed of you dying. There were others in the dream, but everything was distorted, I don't know if they were from my imagination, or-" her voice started to quiver, "They murdered you and made me watch."

 

Dandy put down the brush, staring at her through the mirror. Rosalie's face was white as a ghost, and she still refused to look at him. Dandy sighed deeply, turning and gripping her face in his hands.

 

"Rosalie, love, nothing is going to happen to me," he said, doing his best to prove to her that he believed it himself. She finally looked at him. "I was put here to bring death. I'm a God, they can't kill a man for fulfilling his purpose, my love!" he promised.

 

"I'm just worried about you." she sighed.

 

"You don't have to be!" he pouted slightly, "I'm right here, Rosalie. With you, by my side, I believe that I can do anything. We're a team, remember?"

 

Rosalie nodded, but her heart was still heavy. Everything was becoming too real and too dangerous at the same time. Dandy had a God complex that even Rosalie knew was impossible. He was not invincible. Yet, she knew she couldn't save him, only he could save himself.

 

After the coast was clear, Dandy laid in bed with Rosalie, his arm around her as she rested. The house was quiet, as Gloria had left for a walk, and Ms. Johnson was downstairs, polishing the silverware. He couldn't wait until it was just the two of them forever.

 

The time seemed to tick by slowly, Rosalie took a nap, and Dandy followed quickly behind. They woke up just after three o'clock, basically on top of each other. Rosalie sat up, rubbing her eyes as Dandy laid underneath her, shifting at her weight on his lap. Rosalie grunted as quietly as possible.

 

Dandy gave her a comical look, before purposely moving his hips again, making her smack his chest. "Knock that off!" she giggled. "You were just a virgin three days ago!"

 

Dandy pretended to be hurt, sitting up and gripping her tightly as she tried wiggling off his lap. "Take that back!" he said, holding her down as she laughed, putting her hands against his face to push him away. Dandy playfully bit her hand, laughing himself as she squealed and tried using her arms to pull herself out from underneath him.

 

From down below, Ms. Johnson glanced up from her spot at the table as she polished a knife. She listened intently, she was positive that Ms. Andrews had left the night before, but it sounded like whoever was up there was having a good time. She decided to go back to her polishing, knowing if things became awkward, Gloria gave her permission to listen to the radio.

 

Dandy felt like a kid for the first time in a while. Not like before, when he threw tantrums when he didn't get his way, or just playing with his puppets when he felt like putting on a performance. It was like being a teenager even, discovering love and true happiness for the first time. Rosalie couldn't hold him off any longer and eventually brought him down to kiss her.

 

Dandy wished he would have found her years ago when he was still in school. Gloria had always tried setting him up with girls his age even back then, but they all came from wealthy families and acted incredibly snobby. Worse than him if you could also believe that. He hated that. Perhaps things could have been slightly different if they met when they were seventeen instead of in their twenties.

 

So it was no surprise when Dandy reached under her dress, stripping her from her underwear and smashing his lips against hers when she unbuckled his expensive dress pants. They might have forgotten that they technically were not alone. However, the thought never crossed them, and Dandy would not have cared even in the slightest. It's just the maid.

 

Rosalie was thankful that the dress she wore was a little dated because Dandy wanted her  _now_ and wasted no time in ripping the bust of her dress, exposing her bare breasts to him. She had never experienced that before and almost giggled from the shock.

 

With her dress now hanging around her waist, Rosalie pushed Dandy off of her and crawled up his body, secretly pleased at how well Dandy became acquainted with her body when there was no struggle to get him inside of her. She gasped as he settled his hands on her small frame, his neck rolling as she allowed them to feel each other.

 

Ms. Johnson had just turned on the radio when Gloria returned home, in the process of unbuttoning her winter coat when the maid almost blushed at the sight of her.

 

"How is the polishing coming along, Phyllis?" Gloria asked, her voice showing evident exhaustion. The maid slightly turned up the volume, hoping to block out the provocative noises upstairs.

 

"It's going well, Mrs. Mott," Phyllis said, showing her how much she had completed. "Some of the best silverware I have ever seen if I must say!"

 

"I'm sorry, Phyllis, could you repeat that?" Gloria asked, straining her ears over the voice of Billie Holiday singing  _Blue Moon._

 

Upstairs, Dandy had enough of being powerless and flipped them over, gripping her long black hair in his fist and pressing his chest into her back. He gently shushed her, threatening to cover her mouth if she didn't behave. He had heard the door close downstairs, he was accustomed to listening when his mother finally left the house.

 

"-It's some of the best silverware I have ever seen, Mrs. Mott!"

 

"Oh, thank you, Phyllis," Gloria sighed, "Would you mind making some tea, Phyllis? I have quite the stomach ache."

 

"Of course, ma'am," the maid said, bustling off into the kitchen with cheeks as red as fire.

 

Gloria noticed her behavior and frowned, taking a cigarette and lighting up.

 

Rosalie whined against his hand; he had no choice but to keep her silent as much as possible. Dandy paid particular attention to her neck in an attempt to stay quiet. Rosalie's nails dug so deeply into his sheets that they began to fray.

 

The maid used the water she was boiling for herself for Gloria. She was still flushed as she scrambled to get the tea bags.

 

"Phyllis, has Dandy been down?" Gloria called from her seat.

 

Phyllis put a few cookies on the tray and brought it out, serving Gloria as she answered, "He's upstairs, I believe he's taking a nap, Mrs. Mott."

 

"My poor Dandy," Gloria puffed her cigarette, "The doctor wants me to put him away for a while... I cannot do that to my son."

 

The maid was conditioned to just listen, not pitch in.

 

"I know my Dandy may seem durable, but he's actually quite fragile."

 

Dandy rolled off of her when they had finished, a sheen of sweat coating his forehead as Rosalie quickly dragged herself up and into the bathroom. He fixed his clothes, combing his hair back with his fingers as he waited for her to come out. Dandy walked to his dresser, pulling out the gold-encrusted gun snatched from Gloria's purse. He tucked it in his pants pocket.

 

Ms. Johnson reluctantly turned off the radio as Gloria was getting a headache. She listened intently and didn't hear any shenanigans going on upstairs.

 

Rosalie put on a new dress, having Dandy tie it for her. He pressed a kiss to the back of her neck, before hugging her for a moment. Rosalie leaned back against him, feeling her anxieties slowly slipping away.

 

"I never thought I could love someone, Rosalie," Dandy beamed, "You're my favorite girl."

 

"I love you, Dandy," she replied, before twisting in his arms and pressing a kiss to his lips. Dandy felt himself becoming excited again. He didn't know why they never had sex a long time ago.

 

"I want you to come with me to the playroom," he said once they pulled away. Rosalie gave him a panicked look, which he was quick to alleviate. "It's all in good fun, my love, trust me." he grabbed her hand, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "Angelina is out of our lives for good, and now it's time that Mother accepts us."

 

"And what if she doesn't, Dandy?" Rosalie questioned.

 

"That won't be a problem," he said firmly, keeping his grip on her hand, tucking them between their bodies.

 

They walked the few doors down to the playroom, hand, and hand. They entered the double doors and paused, seeing Gloria sitting on the couch, smoking a cigarette as she stared at them. Dandy didn't seem at all bothered, but Rosalie's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. Gloria wasn't much better off herself.

 

"Dandy!" she cried, "What are you doing!?"

 

"What I should have done a long time ago, mother!" Dandy retorted. "I have sat back for years and let you control  _every_  aspect of my life!" he sniffed, a solemn look crossing his features. Dandy glanced towards Rosalie, pushing her behind him as Gloria stared, openmouthed.

 

"Dandy dear, it has always been in your best interest, darling," Gloria explained, and Rosalie could see genuine fear in her eyes. "You are my son, I just want what is best for you."

 

Dandy walked forward a bit, leaving Rosalie shaking anxiously. Gloria was still far enough away that Rosalie would have some escape room if she decided to lunge her way. As if reading her mind, Gloria glanced her way, but for the first time in a long time, there was no glare, not even a bit of distaste or distrust.

 

"I heard you on the phone with Dr. Feinbloom, today, mother," Dandy said, the solemn look still on his face as he watched his mother. "You think I'm defective. Unbalanced.  _Fragile?"_ he said plainly.

 

"I was only trying to placate the doctor. We don't want him being proactive about your treatment..." Gloria explained. Rosalie watched intently, her arms crossing over her chest in worry about what was going to happen.

 

"Well, if I am unbalanced, it's your fault. Dora told me everything when I was five. Father was wiped out by the crash of '29, and you would have done  _anything_  to get back into a house like this! Even marrying your second cousin." Dandy was glaring, but Rosalie couldn't see.

 

"I loved your father!" Gloria breathed as if she was offended by Dandy's words.

 

Dandy continued on, blaming her for inbreeding and causing his mental illness. Gloria could only listen as Dandy spilled their entire family history in front of someone who could not possibly understand the power it took to protect their wealth. He mentioned something about the Roosevelt's-

 

Rosalie's mouth had dropped open at his words. Her heart shattered at the realization that Dandy's life was not as glamorous or perfect as they always made it seem. Rosalie choked back a sob, covering her mouth. Dandy heard it but refused to look back, he could not show any weakness right now.

 

"How dare you say that name in this house?" Gloria scolded him.

 

"I'm not going anywhere with you," Dandy shook his head, tears welling up at he stared at the same woman who birthed him all those years ago. Yet, somehow remained absent the times he needed her the most.

 

"How could I possibly be with the woman who hates me so much?" Dandy whimpered, before falling to his knees in tears. Rosalie had the urge to run and comfort him but found her feet were frozen in their spot. It was a good thing, though, as Gloria went to her son in an attempt to calm him down.

 

Rosalie watched their encounter with teary eyes. Everything was starting to make sense. She backed up a few paces, getting a whiff from Gloria's perfume as she called Dandy the love of her life.

 

Rosalie's heart was beating so fast that she was  _almost positive_  that she was going to vomit now. Dandy had slowly peeked his head around Gloria's legs as she kneeled over her son, attempting to soothe him by rubbing his back. His eyes were watery, but he wasn't crying like before. Rosalie could almost see the smirk forming on his face as Gloria pulled back, Dandy remaining in his spot.

 

"I have no more love to give," Gloria sighed heavily, heading to the purse she had placed on Dandy's cabinet when she entered. "You have tapped me out."

 

Dandy shot up stealthily, pulling out a gun. Rosalie gaped at him, her eyes shooting to Gloria, who took one look inside her purse and gasped, whirling around as Dandy stared at her, fiddling with the gun hanging by his side.

 

"You're right, mother," Dandy whispered, cocking the weapon.

 

Rosalie clutched a hand to her stomach as Gloria watched, petrified.

 

"I'm sorry I've caused you so much pain," Dandy whispered again, before holding the gun up to his head. "It's time for this madness to end."

 

Rosalie, utterly unaware of what was about to happen, yelled at Dandy to put the gun down. He winced at the pain in her voice but refused to look at her.

 

Gloria breathed heavily, "No, please, Dandy! Not this way." she begged, taking a step closer to her only son. "I can't go on if you kill yourself." Gloria shook her head, crying.

 

"Okay." Dandy breathed, before pointing the gun right at Gloria and firing. The bullet struck her perfectly between the eyes. Blood spattered the mirror behind her as she fell, smacking a giant teddy bear decorating the corner of the room. Her body crashed to the ground, and she was just motionless.

 

Rosalie stared, a tear falling down her cheek as Dandy began to take deep breaths, looking at the body of his dead mother. She felt her anxiety start to slip away, and she sat on the ground, taking deep breaths.

 

Dandy started to smile, a few quiet sobs escaping as he watched with pure joy. It was a bittersweet moment for him.

 

"MRS. MOTT!?"

 

Rosalie tensed up at the sound of the maid's frantic voice as she scampered into the room. She took one look at them before her eyes fell on Gloria's dead body. Phyllis screamed, cowering away as Dandy watched her with amusement and curiosity.

 

"YOU MURDERER! YOU FREAK-" the maid cried, before another shot rang out, hitting her right in the throat.

 

Rosalie jumped up, her ears ringing as Dandy smiled again, putting the gun on the couch as he observed his two recent victims. Rosalie was almost disgusted at the fact that she was no longer terrified or anxious.

 

"Rosalie, my love?" Dandy called out to her, holding out his hand. Rosalie slowly walked to him, taking his hand in hers.

 

He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight as she buried her face in his chest. Dandy could feel her wild heartbeat, and he soothed her quietly. "You're okay, everything is okay,"

 

"You scared ME!" Rosalie hissed, smacking his chest. "You can't do that! I-I thought you were going to kill yourself!"

 

Dandy rolled his eyes, cupping her head in his hand and forcing her to look at him. "Rosalie, don't be daft."

 

Rosalie raised her eyebrows at him, taking a step back, "How dare you! A little bit of a warning would have been nice, Daniel Mott!"

 

Rosalie was pretty sure she had done it now.

 

Dandy stared at her, a hard look in his eyes as she calmed down, a hand to her heart.

 

"Are you done?" he asked.

 

Rosalie shifted awkwardly, "Yeah, I'm done..."

 

Dandy nodded slowly before approaching her and hugging her tightly. "Please forgive me."

 

"I can't have you scare me like that... Please don't do it again," she whispered.

 

From now on, things were going to be very different. 

 


	27. Baby, I'm A Sociopath.

**-**

Rosalie and Dandy spent the next few days cleaning up, and Christmas was less than a week away.

 

Rosalie watched as Dandy buried the maid in the garden, before asking her to help him plant some flowers in its place. They spent hours outside, taking walks, and enjoying their new taste of freedom. No Gloria was waiting around every corner to force them apart.

 

The house was fully decorated for the holidays, the couple decorating all of the Christmas trees Dandy insisted on bringing in.

It brought a lot of joy into the household, which was very much needed after Rosalie thought Dandy was going to take his own life. She had spent the past two nights tossing and turning in her sleep until she found herself holding him just to remind herself he was still alive.

 

Rosalie called back home a few times a day, mainly talking to Eve, who was always happy to answer the phone. As far as Rosalie was concerned, she assumed everything was fine back at camp.

 

They still had yet to tell her about Ethel, Ma Petite, and now the attempted suicide of Dell Toledo, whom Rosalie didn't know that well. Rosalie had asked about Jimmy, but Eve couldn't bring herself to tell her that he was often drunk and passed out all around the camp. He was fascinated by their new friend, Barbara, a rather obtuse woman who Jimmy fed like a baby.

 

In fact, Maggie and Desiree had caught them having sex in an empty tent. That put an end to their relationship real quick.

 

It seemed wrong to hide all of this stuff from Rosalie, but Elsa Mars demanded nobody tell her over the phone. A considerable part of this stems from the fact that Rosalie was unknowingly fired for missing too many performances. Eve didn't necessarily believe that it would hurt Rosalie that bad, she seemed to enjoy life more with Dandy than she did here. And with the way things were going, that was probably a good thing.

 

However, Rosalie made it well known that she missed them.

 

That morning Maggie had walked into Jimmy's trailer, where he was currently hungover. He stared at her as she entered, eyeing her figure that was hidden under a shawl. She had just finished a cigarette, and he could smell it on her.

 

"What do you want?" Jimmy asked.

"I was just coming to see if you're done being an asshole," Maggie responded, ignoring the glare he shot her way as he sat up in his bed. "There's something I wanted to ask you."

 

"You can save it, I don't want to talk to you right now," Jimmy scowled.

"It's important, and it involves Rosalie Greene," Maggie said, taking a seat in one of the chairs. Jimmy almost perked up at the sound of her name but was careful to mask it well.

 

"What do you know about her anyway?" Jimmy questioned, his voice tired from lack of sleep.

 

"I think it's time you stop pretending that Rosalie is as innocent as she claims to be," Maggie began, checking her nails as Jimmy frowned at her. "I know you spend most of your time drunk or with your dick shoved into your pet whale, but it's time you start to realize that something is very fishy about Rosalie."

 

"Don't talk about them like that!" Jimmy growled, standing up for the first time all day. He stretched out, continuing to glare at her as Maggie rolled her eyes. "You're just jealous!"

 

"It's my turn to talk!" Maggie glared, "Look, I think it's cute that you care about her, but do you not remember who all was there when we got attacked two months ago?"

 

Jimmy sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "You already know I can't remember everything, you're making my headache worse,"

 

"Then I'll enlighten you," Maggie stood up now, approaching him. Jimmy stared down at her, displeased. "There were four kids, I led them to the main roads and told them to get help. But  _five_  people were sitting in the dirt, Jimmy. It was a female with long dark hair."

 

"What does that even mean?" Jimmy asked, "There are plenty of people with long hair!"

 

"You're not listening!" Maggie cried, "It was Rosalie! She was wearing a costume and a mask. I asked the kids why there were only four of them who followed. The one kid said because  _'the girl was with them and I punched her in the face,'"_  Maggie quoted. "Rosalie shows up not too long after that with a broken nose?"

 

For the first time, Jimmy seemed to have sobered up. He watched as Maggie raised her eyebrows at him.

 

"T-That can't be," Jimmy shook his head, "Rosalie is a good person, she wouldn't just stand by and watch me get beat up, much less watch someone almost get sawed in half."

 

"I'm not saying that it was her idea," Maggie shrugged, finally happy that Jimmy at least started to listen. "But she was still complicit. And weren't you the one telling me that when she first met him, he tried to buy her?"

 

Jimmy wanted to gag at the idea, "That did happen..."

 

"And I heard the twins talking about it. Mott told them he saved the children and killed the clown-"

"It was all over the news," Jimmy breathed.

 

Maggie sighed, approaching him the rest of the way. Jimmy looked into her eyes, and she could immediately tell he was struggling to  _not_  believe her.

 

"Jimmy, I'm not making any of this up. I firmly believe that it was them, whether you want to believe that or not, look at the facts. Rosalie ran away from camp, we're abducted by clowns along with the missing kids, one of them says he punched a female in the face, you're called over to the house to pick up Rosalie who has a broken nose-"

 

"She went trick-or-treating..." Jimmy mumbled, staring off into space.

 

"She didn't, though, Jimmy!" Maggie chewed on her lip, "Rosalie has been lying to you."

 

-

 

Rosalie moved the rest of her clothes into Dandy's closet. Instead of gathering all of her work clothes and belongings back home, Dandy insisted on buying her everything brand new. That included whatever physical possessions she left behind.

 

It was still difficult for her to grasp the amount of wealth Dandy had. He explained his family business in further detail now that Gloria wasn't regularly breathing down their necks. Their business in the frozen food industry was one of the best in the nation. Dandy talked about it almost nonstop for the two hours it took them to decorate the downstairs with Christmas lights.

 

The only thing that remained the same was Gloria's blood spatter in the playroom.

 

Dandy had gone in there a few times, mainly to drag his mother's body out and dispose of it. He insisted that Rosalie leave it until he was ready for the remains of his mother to wash away thoroughly. She agreed, though her nose wrinkled at the memory of it.

 

Dandy was surprisingly very independent. He took care of himself already, but now that he refused to hire a new maid, maintaining the house was now their responsibility. Rosalie thinks she was more surprised that Dandy wanted to lend an equal hand, as long as she taught him how to cook food without burning it.

 

"I just want the house for the two of us," Dandy told her as they wiped down the many mahogany side tables throughout the house. "I'll admit that the last one wasn't as good as Dora, perhaps I should have kept her alive... Even though her attitude was awful, and she was always mean to me."

 

After all of the excitement and changes throughout the house, they had temporarily forgotten about their next problem: Regina.

 

On December 22nd, Rosalie followed Dandy into the playroom, intending on reading while he took a bath. She had never met someone so inclined to bathe before.

 

Dandy prepared the bath in his robe, while Rosalie curled up on a mountain of pillows, already halfway through the novel she started that morning. Dandy hummed to himself as he pulled out a container full of blood.

 

"Are you sure you don't want to join, Rose?" Dandy questioned for probably the tenth time today. He always looked hopeful, despite hearing a constant string of  _no's._

 

"I'm sure, Dandy," Rosalie said, watching him with a knowing smirk.

He smiled back, unscrewing the cap and pouring the dark liquid in the tub. Rosalie watched, remembering when Dandy covered himself in it just days before. She found herself blushing, before silently scolding herself to knock it off.

 

Just then, the sound of heels caused both to turn their attention to the door, where Regina entered, taking a brief look at her surroundings while Dandy straightened up at the sight of her.

 

"Regina! I knew you'd come back!" Dandy chirped. Rosalie quickly closed her book, watching them both.

 

"I've been to the cops, Dandy," Regina sighed, coming further into the room, "I've asked them for help in finding my mother." She paused just feet from where Rosalie sat. She kept a poker face, keeping her eyes trained on Dandy.

 

"Regina," Dandy sighed, "I killed your mother."

 

Rosalie watched as Regina panicked, breathing heavily as her eyes went from Dandy to Rosalie, and to the mirror poised just inches from her. Gloria's blood-stained a majority, already showing its age.

 

"Is this- is this my mothers' blood?" Regina gasped, pointing to it.

 

"Oh no, no, no, we buried her weeks ago, mother and I," Dandy assured her, though it wasn't quite working. "Recently, I killed her as well, and that's when I discovered the power of  _bathing in blood."_

 

Dandy made a point to stir up the now tainted water with his hand. "This is some fresh blood from some ladies I killed not too long ago. My dear Rosalie helped bottle it up for me, didn't you, darling?"

 

Regina glanced nervously at Rosalie, who was at a loss for words.

 

"Rose is a bit shy," Dandy explained, making Rosalie huff a laugh.

 

Regina turned and made a dash towards the exit. However, Dandy was much faster. Rosalie almost laughed again at the way Dandy ran after her, telling her to pay attention as he slammed the door, locking the three of them inside. Rosalie stood up, brushing off her clothes as she waited. Dandy was having a moment.

 

"I cannot begin to tell you how it felt, the kind of control over their lives. Their trust, their fear, their pain, their confusion, I believe I am living my destiny." Dandy said happily, backing Regina into a corner as she watched him nervously. Regina's eyes darted towards Rosalie, almost as if asking for help.

 

Rosalie tilted her head at Regina, almost like she was telling her  _try me._ Rosalie didn't fully realize she was doing it. It made her look crazy.

 

"Well, good for you..." Regina gasped, responding to Dandy as he continued to explain how happy he was. "They're not. My mother isn't."

 

Dandy backed away, a look on his face that told Rosalie he blanked out emotionally. He headed off towards the tub, brushing past Rosalie, who remained stone-faced.

 

"I have so many questions for you!" Dandy directed towards Regina, who watched in disbelief at the audacity of the situation. "Like, when did you know? You must have had a sense at least that I was destined to be-"

 

Rosalie's mouth dropped open as Dandy dropped his robe, revealing himself to both women. Rosalie covered her mouth and turned away, her cheeks red while Regina looked as if the window wouldn't be a bad escape route. "-this."

 

"I am a God!" Dandy started again, slowly stalking towards Regina. "A God who was  _chosen_  to walk among men!" Dandy stared at her, "I have no interest in killing you. You and Rose are the only ones in this house worth a damn."

 

Regina remained silent, and Rosalie's cheeks were on fire.  _Dandy, put your clothes back on before she things we're swingers._

 _"_ Stop acting so scared of me!" Dandy demanded, growing angry at Regina's lack of participation in the conversation.

 

"I want to go!" Regina called, "I want to leave, now."

"I decide when you leave here," Dandy claimed, glaring at his childhood best friend.

 

 _Oof._ Rosalie thought, rubbing her legs together.

 

Dandy was distressed, finishing the trek towards Regina, who backed up again, shooting Rosalie fleeting glances.

 

"I thought you were my special family," Dandy sighed in defeat, "But you are just a hideous, predictable,  _bore._ It's going to be lonely, I should have anticipated that."

 

Dandy scared Regina by hitting the walls, before going to the door and swinging it open. Regina gave Rosalie a final glance before Dandy screamed for her to get out, threatening to kill her.

 

"I AM ABOVE THE LAW, BEYOND THE LAW! I. AM. THE LAW!"

 

Dandy looked genuinely upset as he picked up his robe, tossing it on the small table set in the far corner of the room. Rosalie remained in her spot, a sympathetic look on her face.

 

"Rosalie, will you  _please_  join me?" Dandy asked, "I'm very upset."

 

Dandy has been obsessed with the word since he killed Gloria. It was like he had a sudden epiphany to be polite to his girlfriend, more than usual.

 

Rosalie walked towards the tub, gazing inside at the steaming water. Rosalie remembered the first bath she ever took with Dandy, and he had tested her reaction by placing a cup of blood on the floor. He never used it, at least with her.

 

"Or are you afraid of me too?" Dandy asked, still gloomy at the recent betrayal of a loved one.

"I'm not afraid of you, Dandy," Rosalie assured him. Dandy reached and took her hand, glaring into the tub as he held onto her.

 

"Whatever the case, I cannot let this blood go to waste," Dandy said, stepping into the tub. He released his hold on Rosalie and sunk into the water, yet he watched her as she debated climbing in there after him.

 

"You'd look beautiful covered in blood," Dandy observed, as innocently as one could muster. "The thought gets me excited."

 

Rosalie couldn't hide the laugh but decided it was alright when Dandy cracked the tiniest smile possible.

 

-

 

It wasn't until many hours later that Regina came back, this time toting a detective along.

 

"Detective Jack Colquitt," the older man held up his badge, peeking his head inside to see Dandy almost smirking his way. "This young lady has a few concerns I would like to address, Mr. Mott,"

 

Rosalie heard the voices from the kitchen, as she was digging for a snack. She found a fresh selection of fruit and took a banana, figuring it would be best to let Dandy answer any questions. She'd probably choke up and get them into trouble.

 

It was hard to understand fully what they were saying in the office, but Rosalie could at least tell who was talking. Regina would yell that Dandy would fry for his crimes, and wasn't at all surprised when she added,  _"Including your girlfriend!"_

 

Rosalie discarded her peel and was in the middle of washing her hands when it got oddly silent. She dried her hands, taking a deep breath and slowly making her way down the hall. Her bare feet hardly made a noise as she approached the broad entryway of the office Dandy's father used many years before.

 

The sudden gunshot made her ears ring, and for another terrifying moment, she thought something happened to Dandy. The sound of a body smashing against the floor was barely intelligible as she skidded to a stop, seeing the dead body of Regina staring up at the ceiling. Detective Colquitt lowered his weapon before looking at Dandy in admiration.

 

"What the hell?" Rosalie asked, her own voice echoing in her head as both men turned to look at her. Dandy beamed, while Colquitt fiddled with the gun hanging by his side.

 

"This one too, sir?" Colquitt asked, his eyes gleaming in the creepiest way possible.

 

"Oh no, no, no, she's with me," Dandy smiled, ignoring the wide-eyed stare, Rosalie shot his way. "This is the love of my life, Rosalie,"

 

Colquitt gave her an awkward smile, putting his gun back in the holster, looking down at Regina's body. "I'll take care of it, sir,"

 

"Dandy, what is going on?" Rosalie asked him.

 

"Nothing that a little bit of money can't fix," Dandy said, taking a final sip of his drink. "With Colquitt on our side, we will be unstoppable, my love."

 

Dandy had to help the cop with the body, taking it outback. Rosalie started cleaning up the blood that spattered the wall. The smell of bleach was so strong that she couldn't stop sneezing.

 

Rosalie could see they had an earnest conversation outside. Dandy occasionally glanced back toward the house, sometimes meeting Rosalie's eyes through the window, and other times he didn't see her. Rosalie finished cleaning the mess, knowing Dandy always checked to make sure there was nothing left.

 

The rest of the night, there was an odd glow to Dandy that Rosalie felt was off. He was happier than she had ever seen him, yet he wouldn't tell her exactly what happened outside with Detective Colquitt. 

 


	28. I'm Not Afraid to Say, That I'd Die Without Him.

Rosalie got the shock of her life in the middle of the night when Eve called.  
  


"They took Jimmy!" she cried into the phone, "They said he murdered a bunch of women trying to sell Tupperware!"  
  


Dandy had slept through the entire ordeal, and Rosalie hung up after telling Eve she'd be over. She felt faint as she stumbled back upstairs, seeing the sleeping figure of Dandy gently snoring away under the sheets.   
  


_"Nothing that a little bit of money can't fix," Dandy said, taking a final sip of his drink. "With Colquitt on our side, we will be unstoppable, my love."_   
  


Rosalie slipped on warmer clothes as silently as possible, tears threatening to spill over. She knew that Dandy was behind all of this, it had to be him. She didn't know why or how they would ever place Jimmy at the scene of the crime.  _Did Jimmy even know those women?_  
  


It was almost too easy to sneak out, Rosalie thought.   
  


Until Dandy caught her when she was halfway out the door.   
  


"What are you doing?" Dandy questioned. "It's very late, Rose," he frowned at her.  
  


"Did you know?" Rosalie wasted no time, looking back at him, "You were going to set Jimmy up after what  _we_  did!?" she raised her voice, allowing the door to slam shut. The two adults stood in the dark foyer, staring each other down.   
  


"He brought it on himself!" Dandy said, "He tried to keep us apart!"  
  


"And I still came back, Dandy!" Rosalie sniffed. "Jimmy doesn't tell me what to do. I told you that I called you almost everyday, but I could  _never_  get through. This isn't Jimmy's fault!"   
  


Rosalie went to leave, but instead was grabbed by Dandy, who slammed the door shut a second time. His grip on her was tight enough just to keep her from leaving. 

"Let me go," Rosalie whispered.  
  


"Rosalie, you can't leave me," he begged. Dandy fought to make her look into his eyes. When she did, Rosalie could see the genuine hurt.   
  


"You didn't have to do this!" she sobbed, "Me coming back should have been ENOUGH FOR YOU!"  
  


"You're making me angry, Rosalie," he sighed, releasing her as if she caught on fire in his hands. "I don't want to yell at you."  
  


Rosalie didn't run like she should have, instead she took a few steps back, rubbing her tired eyes. Dandy had a hopeful look on his face, yet it was almost masked by the tears spilling over.  
  


"Dandy, I can't sit here and watch Jimmy have his life ruined! He's my friend, he doesn't deserve this..."  
  


"DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?" Dandy yelled, keeping a safe distance between the two of them. Rosalie jumped. "You've been having nightmares the past few nights, you're terrified that something is going to happen or that I'd get caught!" he came closer, yet Rosalie didn't budge. "I can't get caught if they have  _another suspect._ "  
  
  
  


Rosalie was shaken awake by Dandy, who had sat up when she started crying in her sleep. Her face was white as a ghost.

"Rosalie, what are you dreaming about?" he asked, panic evident in his voice.  
  


"C-Could you please get me some water?" she asked.  
  


Dandy raced downstairs, and she threw the covers off while kicking off her pajamas. It felt like she was bathing in her sweat. Her undergarments would suffice. Dandy finally came back, handing her the glass, not even questioning her half-naked form. Rosalie took it from him with shaky hands, drinking it down in record time as he sat beside her.  
  


"We have to get out of here," Rosalie whispered.  
  


"What are you talking about?" Dandy asked, frowning.   
  


"It's not safe around here, something is going to happen, I can feel it." Rosalie said, laying back against the pillows. She told him about her dream and how it didn't really make sense.  
  


"Rose, darling, I'd never let anything happen to you. We've talked about this."  
  


"I think Jimmy knows about us," Rosalie said. Dandy was bewildered, asking her to elaborate. "When you told him about saving the kids, I tried to talk him out of it and I think it worked at the time, but... I think Jimmy  _knows_  I lied."  
  


 Dandy tried to comfort her, "It was a dream, it doesn't mean anything."   
  


Dandy spent the rest of the night comforting her, but he had to admit that things were becoming difficult. Rosalie was constantly paranoid. He never doubted her love for him after the Tupperware party, and after all of the murder the past few days. 

To help assure her, Rosalie called back home, hearing the voice of Liz who was up getting a midnight snack. She said there were no cops, and Jimmy was at home.   
  


Still, even after Christmas went by and into the new year, Dandy decided it was best to keep all crimes away from the household. The only time was with the Avon lady when Rosalie went into town for some diner food. Ever since then, he'd travel to find the perfect victim, and Colquitt would quickly cover it up for him.    
  


Rosalie spent most of her time keeping busy by cleaning, and found that she actually enjoyed gardening. Dandy never allowed her to do too much, though. Rosalie was living the life of luxury and did not to be overexerting herself. She stopped having nightmares after a few awhile, her sleep schedule finally back to normal after several weeks.  
  


Rosalie rarely called the freak show, and they reciprocated. She still suspected Jimmy knew, but didn't bring it up to Dandy as not to be be a burden.   
  


Dandy, however, ran into Paul at a local shop. They recognized each other instantly, but neither cared enough to try and initiate any type of conversation. Dandy had a small bag from a jewelry store on this particular day, Paul noticed. He was buying a few oddities that Rosalie needed, and because he loved her so much, Dandy wanted to get them for her personally.   
  


Paul wandered back home with a tub of ice cream for later, thinking about Rosalie. He knew it wasn't his place to pry, but he could tell by the outline in the bag that it looked like a ring box. It that wasn't suspicious enough, Dandy gladly told the clerk about his plans to pop the question. Paul hid his dessert far back in the icebox, before heading to the main tent where Jimmy was practicing his next act.   
  


A weird thing had happened between Jimmy and Maggie. They weren't together at the moment, but they were almost dependent on each other. Jimmy never brought Rosalie up anymore. Maggie was happy that he seemed to have moved on, even if it was with Barbara, whatever shit was going on there.

Yet, it didn't exclude the fact that he was debating on what to do.  
  


There was never another report of any murders or kidnappings in the area. Jimmy realized when he was sober that he couldn't save everybody, as hard of a pill it was to swallow. He had confided in Eve (leaving out the part about Halloween), and she told him the same thing:  _leave Rosalie alone._  
  


Jimmy was too ashamed to even talk to Rosalie just like they used too. A majority of the time he was only sober for a bit in the morning, before drowning in all the alcohol he could afford. He still missed their late night heart to hearts. They had taken down her banner, and her trailer stayed locked, the key hidden in Elsa's tent.  
  


Jimmy was resting when Paul arrived, seeing the young man sobered up, finally. "Jimmy!"  
  


"Paul," Jimmy smiled a bit, rolling around the microphone in his hands. "How are you?"  
  


"Good, good, I got some ice cream for later if you'd like some?" He offered kindly. Jimmy smiled a bit.  
  


"I might take you up on that."   
  


Paul took a seat on the stairs, figuring it was better to start now than never. "I know it's not really my place, but I have a suspicion that Rosalie is about to become engaged."  
  


Jimmy laughed, "Paul, that's not funny!"  
  


"I'm serious, Jimmy! I saw the Mott boy in town today, had himself a bag from that fancy jewelry shop they just opened up."   
  


"I know of it," Jimmy said, "I'm sure it could have been anything, Paul." he shrugged.   
  


Paul watched as he glanced away, and it was hard to tell what Jimmy was really feeling. "You're okay with it?"   
  


Jimmy watched him now, looking a bit irritable. "You heard what Eve said. She can do what she wants, and I have to say I agree."  
  


Paul nodded, standing up, "I just thought you'd like to know, I doubt we'd be hearing much about it, you know?"  
  


Jimmy nodded, "Thanks for telling me, Paul."  
  


Paul left the tent, leaving Jimmy alone. He rubbed his hands over his face, almost wishing that they never killed that detective.   
  


-  
  


Rosalie had just finished washing the dishes in the sink after a rather awkward dinner with Colquitt. Dandy had insisted on giving him a few extra thousand in hopes his loyalty wouldn't sway. The guy already won a million dollars, Rosalie was sure he'd be loyal until the day he died.   
  


She was drying her hands when Dandy entered the kitchen, still dressed in his tuxedo. Colquitt had left a short while ago, tipping his hat to Rosalie before disappearing into the night.   
  


Rosalie instantly noted that Dandy was fidgety, his hands in both pockets as he beamed at her. She hung up towel, preparing to ask him what was up when he began to speak.  
  


"May I?" he asked.

"Go ahead," Rosalie smiled.  
  


Dandy approached her the rest of the way, a large grin on his face as he sighed. "Rosalie, I've been doing a lot of thinking, and I have come to realize that we never needed my mother, or Dora, or Regina," he began, his eyes becoming wet. "All I have ever needed in the past months we've known each other is you!" Dandy made the point to take her hands that had been freshly manicured. 

"I know things were a bit rocky at the start, I was rather rude to you, I treated you awful at times, but... I hope I've straightened up enough for you," Dandy said, before instantly dropping to one knee. 

Rosalie's mouth fell open, seeing as Dandy quickly pulled out a ring box. He flipped it open, revealing the biggest diamond she had ever seen in her life. She thought his gift from before was huge. 

"Oh my God," she choked out, seeing the utter happiness plastered on his face. Dandy's eyes were still wet.   
  


"Will you marry me, Rosalie Greene?" he asked, "I would be the happiest man alive knowing I'll have you by my side forever. We could have five children - I used to think babies were  _ugly and boring_  before, but!" Dandy smiled, "Between the two of us, it would be impossible,"   
  


Rosalie laughed, kneeling down in front of him, "Dandy, I didn't think you'd ever..."  
  


"What? Get married? I didn't think so either, I never felt this way before about anyone. You're the only one who has never really ran away from me." he frowned, still holding the ring up for her to look at it. "And the one time you did, you came back. I was thinking only of myself at that time and I've realized if I want you to love me I can't do that anymore."   
  


Rosalie wiped at her eyes, before holding her hand out for him. Dandy slid it on her ring finger, just above the one she was already wearing.   
  


"You agreed to marry me, right?" Dandy asked suddenly, his brow furrowed.  
  


"Oh! Yes, yes, I'll marry you, Dandy," Rosalie laughed through her tears.   
  


He smiled, standing up and taking her in his arms. They embraced, and Rosalie was convinced there was nowhere safer than Dandy's arms.

 

They sprung apart at the sound of someone pounding on the front door. Dandy looked angry as they walked to the foyer, and Rosalie noticed the silhouette of Jack Colquitt standing outside.

Dandy softened his expression as he opened the door, revealing a pissed detective holding onto  _Jimmy_.

 

"I'm sorry to be a bother, Mr. Mott, but I found this one lurking about outside."

"I wasn't!-" Jimmy interjected.

"Quiet, you trash!" Colquitt hissed. He looked at Dandy, his eyes hidden by the brim of his hat. "What do you want me to do with him?"

 

"Let him go," Rosalie stepped forward, partially blocking Dandy from view. Jimmy looked relieved, yet Colquitt didn't loosen his grip. "He's a friend of mine."

 

Dandy started to look pissed again, but nodded towards Jack who let Jimmy go. Jimmy rubbed his arm, sending a glare to the cop.

 

"Jimmy, come inside," Rosalie said, grabbing him and leading him into the kitchen. Dandy stayed behind, entering in a hushed conversation with Colquitt.

 

Rosalie got him a glass of water as Jimmy shimmied out of his leather jacket. She noticed that he had lost a bit of weight, and the circles under his eyes became darker. He thanked her, taking a deep drink. He sat on a stool by the countertop. 

 

"What are you doing here, Jimmy?" Rosalie asked.

 

"Uhm," Jimmy began, realizing it would sound rather awkward telling her about Paul. "Paul said he saw  _Dandy_ in town," he frowned, thinking that was a ridiculous name, "He told me about it, I realized that I miss you, so..."

 

Rosalie refilled his glass, going to set it in front of him when Jimmy lurched forward, grabbing her hand in his. Rosalie stiffened, before realizing he was staring at her engagement ring. 

 

"Holy shit," said Jimmy, looking up at her with wide eyes,  _"He actually did it."_

 

"I'm sorry,  _what?"_ Rosalie asked, frowning.

Jimmy shook his head, releasing her, "Nothing, nothing..." he said, taking the glass and draining it completely. He shouldn't have come here, it was stupid. 

 

They weren't alone now, as Dandy sauntered in from the dining room. He took one look at Jimmy's face and did his best to hide his smirk. Rosalie watched him, her eyes telling him not to make a scene, almost begging. 

 

"I must apologize for Detective Colquitt's behavior," Dandy began, facing Jimmy. "He's a bit fidgety, Jupiter has been quite the ghost town the past few weeks."

 

Jimmy only brushed it off, before asking, "Where's your mother?" he asked Dandy.

 

"Oh, she's upstairs, poor thing is exhausted," Dandy said without hesitation. Rosalie wanted some wine. "I must say, has Rosalie spoke of the good news?" he asked, wrapping a firm arm around Rosalie's waist. Dandy's grin was unmatchable. 

 

"She did," Jimmy lied, his eyes falling onto the rock. "Congratulations, to both of you," 

 

Rosalie knew that something was off, and her dreams about Jimmy were slowly creeping up in the back of her mind. Dandy smiled, giving her a final squeeze before claiming he was going to make himself a drink. He left them, finally able to smirk at the look on Darlings face.

 

"Rosalie, why him?" Jimmy questioned, standing up from his spot on the stool. "You haven't even known him that long!" he whispered. 

 

Rosalie gasped, meeting his intense gaze, "Jimmy! This is none of your business, what is wrong with you?" 

 

"You're one of my best friends,  _Rosalie,"_ he hissed, "Quite frankly I'm a bit concerned, you always told me you weren't ready to get married!" 

 

Rosalie sighed. He was just concerned, like Jimmy always was. But this was way out of line.

  
"Jimmy, that was before! I never..." she sighed, "I never had a real relationship, believe it or not. Guys weren't exactly jumping at the opportunity to date someone living on the streets."

  
"Rosalie, you're the most wonderful woman I've ever known, you can do so much better!" Jimmy whispered. 

 

"Jimmy, I think it's time you leave," Rosalie whispered. 

 

Jimmy sighed, giving her a solemn look as she stood a few feet away from him, now refusing to look in his eyes. He didn't know what possessed him to come, he thought he could stay away and leave her alone. 

This was not the Rosalie he knew. The Rosalie that Maggie talked about wasn't who was standing right in front of him.

 

"Why?" Jimmy questioned, his tone curt. "You have a date trying to saw people in half?" Rosalie's face blanched, and Jimmy quickly took notice.  

"... Rosalie," he said. "It's true, then?" he asked.

 

Rosalie was staring dead at the floor, not even twitching in the slightest. Jimmy looked at her with worry, disgust, and bewilderment all in one. It wasn't until she walked to the nearest trash can and threw up that he heard her sob. 

 

Jimmy just stood there, staring at her back as she got sick. His own stomach became queasy at the sound.

 

"You've been lying this whole time?" Jimmy asked loudly, approaching her as she straightened up, covering her mouth. "You've been lying to protect him, haven't you?!"

 

"Go away, Jimmy!" Rosalie croaked, tears welling up in her eyes as he watched her with disbelief. 

 

"Has there been anyone else, Rosalie? Who else has he tried to kill, or killed!?" Jimmy asked, stumbling a bit as Rosalie pushed past him, running out of the kitchen and up the steps. "Maggie was right about everything!" Jimmy watched her, pure anger and almost hatred bubbling up inside of him.

 

 

Dandy stood in the darkened office, taking a sip of his whiskey, a mischievous twinkle in his eye as he nodded for Colquitt to go ahead and remove Jimmy from the premises. Jack sucked down the rest of his drink before he loudly escorted Jimmy out, who searched the room for Dandy as Colquitt yanked him outside, before the front door slammed shut. 

 

Rosalie was on her third cup of water when Dandy stepped into the dimly lit bathroom. He noted the toothbrush and open toothpaste sitting on the sink. 

 

"I had Colquitt take him away, are you okay?" Dandy asked, kneeling in front of her as she sat on the toilet. 

 

"I was right," Rosalie sniffed, "He knows, he knows, he knows..." she hid her face in her hands.

 

Dandy got to thinking as he made sure Rosalie was tucked into bed and asleep. He laid beside her, still dressed to the nines as her breathing slowly evened out. There were a few possibilities on what he could do. 

 

Dandy got up and walked downstairs, shutting all of the lights off, before stopping at the sight of Jimmy's leather jacket still on one of the chairs. 

 

One, he could set Jimmy up for a murder, much like her dream weeks before. There was a piece of evidence right in front of him. 

 

_It could work but only if he doesn't blab to anybody before you could make it happen._

 

Two, just find out who knows and kill them all, Colquitt would be happy to cover it up.

 

Three, take all of the money and move overseas, buy Rosalie the most expensive mansion or castle her heart desired. They could live the rest of their time hidden from the world, nobody would ever know what transpired here all the way in Europe. 

 

Dandy flicked off the light, deciding he would sleep on it. 


	29. A Pretty Package You Never Did See.

The first day Rosalie spent in bed, but after she insisted she was fine and wanted to go on about a normal day. Despite the intense nausea, the couple were happy about their recent engagement. 

 

Dandy was insisting on getting married as soon as possible, but Rosalie was afraid of being sick on their special day. They toyed with a few dates in the coming weeks, but nothing was set in stone. 

 

Colquitt took it upon himself to keep a close eye on the Freak Show. He said that a newcomer, Chester, was interested in buying it from Elsa. Rosalie looked at some of the pictures he had snapped for them, seeing a tall, good looking blond man smiling at Elsa.

 

"He looks boring," Dandy commented one night after sending Jack home. "I could have offered them so much more as a performer."

Rosalie ran a hand through his hair, standing behind him as Dandy leaned over his desk, his brows furrowed.

 

"I can't see why Elsa is wanting to sell the show," Rosalie frowned too. "It doesn't seem like her."

Dandy frowned, closing the file Colquitt had given them. He had an idea.

 

The next day, Dandy asked Colquitt to look into Chester.

 

Rosalie was laying on the couch, a blanket over her as she tried to fall asleep. Her head was pounding and her belly felt like it was doing somersaults.

 

Dandy had stormed in suddenly, startling her as he grinned widely, waving something at her. "I got it!"

 

Rosalie sat up, rubbing her eyes as she frowned at him. "What?..."

Dandy sat beside her, pointing to a picture of two pretty women sitting next to Chester. It had to be a few years old, as the Chester in this photo had less wrinkles.

 

Dandy explained what Colquitt told him. Chester was jealous after his wife and girlfriend started an affair while he was off to Normandy. They were found naked and murdered side by side in bed one day. Chester claimed it was his doll, Marjorie.

 

"I don't understand?" Rosalie questioned. "What does this have to do with anything?"

 

Dandy scoffed, thumbing through the pictures and files on his lap before showing her the gruesome crime scene. Rosalie's stomach gurgled uncomfortably.

 

"He is clearly psychotic, Rose," Dandy said, a strange glint in his eyes. "Chester has been in Florida for a few months. He is a murderer, Colquitt says he would be easy to frame, all of the evidence of his mental illness is right on these pages."

 

"But we don't even know this guy, Dandy-."

 

 _"Exactly._ A lot less guilt on our part. Plus, he looks like a creep. We set him up, Colquitt makes the arrest and helps us out, and now Jimmy has nothing against us!"

 

Rosalie looked at him, "Jimmy doesn't get hurt, right?"

Dandy shook his head, "Jimmy will be fine."

 

Rosalie nodded, "What are we going to do once he's put away?" She asked.

"We'll move," Dandy shrugged, "Change our names, maybe. We'll figure it out." He wrapped an arm around her, pressing a quick kiss to her head.

-

Dandy was waiting for Rosalie to get ready for an appointment when the phone rang.

"Hello?" Dandy answered.

"Mr. Mott, you will never believe this, but..." Colquitt whispered hurriedly into the phone. "I don't have much time, but Chester was arrested last night for murder. Killed one of those girls at the show last night, the real pretty one. He's crying for that doll of his. A real nutter if you ask me."

 

Dandy hid his smile, shaking his head. He was right, again.

"I'll keep you posted." Colquitt said, before hanging up.

 

Rosalie came down the stairs,  her hair up in a bun as Dandy straightened his jacket. "Who was that?" She questioned.

 

"Everything's taken care of, Rose," Dandy said, watching as she slipped on her shoes. "Chester killed someone last night. The girl who never liked you."

 

Rosalie gasped,  _"Maggie?"_

"I guess so," Dandy shrugged, "What a shame, she seemed alright."

 

Rosalie still couldn't believe it even after they arrived at the clinic. Her sickness becoming quite the bother, and Dandy insisted she get checked out. They waited for a bit, Rosalie filling out a form as Dandy shifted in his seat from boredom.

 

"Greene?" A pretty nurse soon beckoning her back. Dandy gave Rosalie a comforting smile, promising he'd be there when she came out.

 

Rosalie followed her back, stepping on the scale and standing next to the measurement chart. She was then led to a small room, sitting on top of the bed in the middle.

 

Rosalie knew that it was probably just a stomach bug, or at least something caused by all of the stress in the past weeks. The nurse took her vitals, asking her the simple questions and named off her symptoms.

 

"Dr. Short will be with you in a moment." The nurse smiled, before exiting with her clipboard. Rosalie laid back, sighing as she crossed her legs. She felt fine now, the first day in a long time she didn't puke her guts out.

 

When the doctor finally arrived, he smiled at her, taking a seat.

 

"I looked over your chart, all of your vitals are normal. Your body temperature is exactly where it should be. Could you explain how long they've persisted?" He asked kindly.

Rosalie ticked the weeks off in her head. "I think it's been about two weeks now."

 

Dr. Short nodded, scribbling something down on her chart. "You've had trouble sleeping, is that correct?"

Rosalie nodded, "I've gotten better, but I was tired a lot of the time. It just took forever for me to fall asleep..."

 

He nodded again, scribbling something else down. "And you said you haven't spiked a fever or experienced dizziness in the last two weeks?"

 

Rosalie shook her head, "Not at all."

Dr. Short wrote it down, before he gave her an almost nervous smile. "Ms. Greene, are you currently sexually active?"

Rosalie paused.

He noticed her hesitation, "You have my complete confidentiality, Rosalie."

"Yes, I have been," she cleared her throat.

 

"Have you used protection? Prophylactics, for example?"

Rosalie had the urge to cover her mouth, but refrained. She just shook her head.

Dr. Short nodded, "I see. I would like to collect a urine sample for you, would you be willing to submit for testing?"

 

Rosalie nodded quickly, "Of course, anything."

Rosalie's mind was buzzing as she went through the motions, handing off her sample to the same nurse, who smiled at her. Short explained that the results would take anywhere from two days to two weeks. Rosalie was to wait for a phone call.

 

Rosalie walked out to the waiting room, handing her chart to the receptionist sitting at the desk, popping her gum. Dandy had stood up at the sight of her.

"Your bill will be in the mail," The nurse said plainly, before giving her a half-hearted smile. "Have a nice day."

 

Rosalie approached Dandy, who looked anxious at the sight of her. "Well?" He pressed.

Rosalie went to speak, but found that no words would come out. Dandy pouted, arching a brow at her.

 

_They had never talked about kids. We just got engaged a few days ago._

 

Rosalie grabbed his hand, yanking him out of the office. Dandy followed, continually asking her if she was okay. They went out to the car, where Rosalie turned to face him.

"Dandy, we never used protection," she whispered hurriedly.

 

Dandy's face twisted, glancing down at her belly, to her eyes, and back and forth.

"They're going to do a test, I-I might be pregnant."

Dandy remained silent, staring at her face as if he didn't understand a word she said. Rosalie twiddled her thumbs, watching as his eyes darted everywhere but her face.

 

"But they don't know for sure..." he mumbled.

Rosalie shook her head, "We may not know for another few weeks..."

 

Dandy nodded slowly, before gently pulling her in for a hug. He stared at nothing above her head, rubbing her back as she shook her head into his chest.

"We'll figure it out, whatever happens." He said.

 

Rosalie nodded, but she had a feeling that Dandy never wanted kids in the first place.

-

_"Here in Jupiter, authorities arrested Chester Creb, a man accused of murdering twenty-three year old Maggie Esmeralda. Her body was found sawed in half, while distraught onlookers called the police. Creb is now being questioned of the still unsolved murders of six women in Jupiter this past Winter. Lead detective Jack Colquitt, released a statement earlier today."_

_"'The Jupiter PD has my full confidence,'" he said to news reporters this morning, "'We have evidence of Creb's presence at the ghastly site of the murdered women back in December. We believe he is also connected to the murder of his wife, Lucy Creb, who was found slain with her friend, Alice. We are glad that we have been able to snatch this monster off the streets before he harmed others.'"_

_"More details will be available tonight at eight o'clock sharp."_

 

Rosalie switched off the radio, before laying back in the tub. Ever since her appointment, she couldn't stop thinking about the potential new life growing inside of her.

Dandy was still doting on her, though she could tell he was very confused. She could hear him from the other room, grunting as he tried to ease the stress with his punching bag.

 

Rosalie felt very stupid. She had taken health education in high school, she knew the risks of unprotected sex. Kids were a very touchy subject; she wanted them but also did not. Now if she were pregnant, with Dandy's child, she knew deep down she would keep it.

The only thing bothering her was if Dandy would want it, too.

 

She pressed a hand to her belly, not knowing what she expected to feel. From what she knew, she could be anywhere from six to eight weeks pregnant. If she even  _had_ a growing baby inside of her.

 

Rosalie played with the lavender bubbles floating by her. She had the urge to call up her friends. As much as Rosalie missed Eve, Liz, and Jimmy, she knew that they were probably grieving the loss of Maggie. Jimmy wouldn't want to speak to her, either way, she wasn't that naive.

 

She lay in silence, listening to Dandy in the other room until he sauntered in the bathroom eventually, sweaty and wearing only his underwear. He was pouting.

"I feel sad." Dandy said, staring at himself in the mirror.

Rosalie waited for him to elaborate, knowing that it was coming eventually.

 

"I always found babies to be boring. Mother always insisted I have them, she wanted to help raise them." He said, glaring at himself in the mirror.

"I always hated the idea. My mother had this idea that she could fix all of the mistakes she made with me. I never wanted that."

 

Rosalie could only nod. It would make sense, especially after all the times Dandy explained to her how Dora took care of him as much as taking care of Regina. Or the multiple nannies Dandy scared off throughout the years; he never had one for more than a few days.

 

"But now she's dead, its the two of us now..." he turned to look at her. "Rosalie, if you're... With child, I think we should keep it."

 

Rosalie's heart swelled. She found herself touching her belly again, a smile on her lips. "Why are you sad?" She asked.

 

Dandy shrugged, "If you're not actually pregnant, I think I might be disappointed."

 

"You know we could always try for one. Maybe when we're married... If it doesn't happen now, it just won't be our time, Dandy."

 

Dandy nodded, giving her a final glance. "I'll be in the other bathroom." He left, closing the door quietly on the way out.

 

Rosalie slunk further into the water, thinking of what their future now holds.  
  


 


	30. A Boy Like That, Will Bring You Sorrow.

Jimmy Darling sat on his mother's grave, holding an empty bottle of whiskey. Elsa Mars was across the way, still unpacking her bags after another disappointing block on her way to Hollywood. He watched as she stood outside of her tent, smoking and observing the quiet grounds, still wearing sunglasses.

 

"Ma, everything has gone to shit," Jimmy said. "Ma Petite is gone, Meep is gone, you're gone, Rosalie..." he stopped. "Maggie is dead now, too."

He could hear the pained screams of Richard, or Stanley, who is finally paying for his crimes against their own. Jimmy blocked it out, looking down at the unmarked grave of his mother.

 

"I don't know what to do, Ma," Jimmy sniffled, "I wanted to protect everybody. I failed you, I failed all the others who are no longer with us..."

"Jimmy, what are you crying about?"

 

He gasped, stumbling backward as his mother appeared before him, a grim look on her face as he looked at her with teary eyes.

"Ma!"

 

Ethel rolled her eyes, "It's the second time I've been here to see ya, Jimmy," she scoffed. Her accent was as thick as he remembered. "Its pathetic, seeing you drinking away all your problems instead of solving 'em yourself."

 

"Ma, I haven't been drinking, I... I'm sober now."

"If you say so. Jimmy, I was never one for violence, but I think you have a bigger problem going on than you realize."

 

Jimmy frowned, looking at her as she stared down at her final resting place. "What do you mean?"

 

"You know it's all a bunch of bull! Framing that Chester for all the crimes. Except for Maggie, of course. Couldn't have seen that one coming myself."

 

"I don't know what to do, Ma," Jimmy sighed, "I don't want her to get hurt."

Ethel sighed, her face softening at the sight of her son. "She is a grown woman. If she is messing with the wrong crowd, she needs to be set straight before anyone else gets hurt."

 

"They have all of this evidence that Chester killed those women. It's my word against Jupiter, Ma! You know they never liked us. Even after I helped save those kids, the welcome was worn out fast."

 

"Who said anything about the police?" Ethel asked. "I'm just saying, Jimmy. I always knew you were soft for that girl, not even Maggie was women enough to give you those feelings."

 

"Rosalie is getting married," he said. "She doesn't want me like that. It's my fault, we never dated or anything, I never told her how I felt."

"I know I was never supportive, Jimmy," she said. "I gave that girl more dirty looks than I did anything else. From what I've seen, she doesn't seem to care much about the folks here anymore."

 

"She has a better life, Ma," Jimmy said quietly.

"That may be, but she left all of you here. Not so much as a goodbye, it seems."

 

"Don't talk about her like that," Jimmy said darkly.

"Jimmy, I never got violent with you once, but I'm gonna smack some sense into ya if you don't listen!"

 

Jimmy remained silent.

 

"You are so concerned with protecting her, that you're not seeing what is going on here."

 

The sound of a car pulling up caught his attention. He turned, seeing Dandy Mott stepping out, before strutting his way to where Elsa was standing. Rosalie was nowhere in sight.

"What in the..."

 

"It's very important you watch out for that man," she said. "I know things, Jimmy. And he ain't one to mess with."

 

Jimmy went to respond, only see Ethel was gone.

"Fuck!" Jimmy yelled before throwing the bottle far off into the field. He decided to wait, knowing he was going to give Dandy Mott a piece of his mind.

 

Dandy watched as Elsa slid the deed over to him. She was still smoking, watching as he signed his name on the line, right below hers.

 

"How is my little bird?" Elsa asked. He glanced up at her, seeing a small smile.

"Rosalie is fine," Dandy said. He sat up, pushing the deed back over to her. "Happy about our recent engagement."

 

Elsa nodded, "You just whisked her right outta here, didn't you?" She smirked. "Poor thing probably didn't know what hit her when you came along. Never had so much as a boyfriend for as long as I've known her."

Dandy shifted, reaching for the manilla envelope behind him. He handed it to Elsa, who opened it. She was glowing at the sight of all that cash.

 

"Rosalie is perfect," Dandy smiled. "She'll make sure everyone is in good hands."

"I'll hold you to it." Elsa nodded before they shook hands. Dandy stood up, prepared to see himself out.

 

"Take that with you," she said, pointing to the deed. Dandy took it from the table. "Maybe give it to her as a present."

 

Dandy tucked it into his suit jacket, before bidding her goodbye. He headed towards his car, seeing that an extremely tall woman was painting over Rosalie's trailer. The only words visible now were  _Amazing Acrobat._

 

"Hey!" he heard Jimmy Darling call from behind. Dandy smirked, turning around and seeing a sweaty, out of breath Lobster Boy glaring at him.

 

"Hello," Dandy said. "I regret to inform you I'm here by myself."

"What's your angle?" Jimmy asked, squinting at him through the hazy Florida sun. "With Rosalie, I mean."

 

"I haven't any idea what you're talking about," Dandy shrugged. "Rosalie is happy with me, we're happy together-."

"That's not what I mean," Jimmy shook his head. "I know what you did. You're a murderer, and you're dragging her through the mud to clean up your mess!"

 

"I seem to recall Rosalie telling me you killed a cop. That's why you scared her off, is that right?" Dandy questioned. He saw Jimmy's face fall, yet he managed to keep somewhat of a poker face. "I think it would be best to mind your business. You wouldn't want this knowledge falling into the wrong hands."

 

"She would never forgive you if something happened to me," Jimmy stated matter-of-factly.

 

Dandy knew he was right, but he couldn't show it. He wouldn't. "What she doesn't know won't hurt her." he turned, starting to head back to his car. "She's mine now, get over it."

 

Jimmy saw red, watching as the rich boy climbed into his car, driving away. A cloud of dust attacked his lungs, causing him to go into a coughing fit.

 

"Who was that?" a woman's voice asked him from behind. He turned, his eyes watering from the dirt. It was Barbara, one of the newest additions to the family.

 

"A friend of a friend." Jimmy coughed, using his shirt to wipe his eyes clean.

"Oh. Well, lunch is ready, Elsa says she has some news for all of us. I was sent to get you."

 

Jimmy nodded, following her back towards the grounds. He hoped his mother would appear again for a second time that night, but she never did.

 

-

 

"What's this?" Rosalie asked, picking up the envelope Dandy slid to her that night over dinner.

"Open it." he grinned.

 

Rosalie watched him warily, opening the flap and sliding out the deed to the Freak Show. She stared at it, her mouth agape at Elsa Mars' signature on the bottom, and then Dandy's elegant scrawl.

 

"You  _bought_ the show?"

 

"Yes!" Dandy grinned, "You know, I realized that with Chester gone, someone needed to run it," he scooped a piece of blueberry pie from his plate. "Elsa says she is going to Hollywood. I bought it from her, paid in cash, and it will be all ours after this weekend."

"Dandy, do you even know how to run it?" she teased.

 

"Of course not, but that's where you come in," he said. Rosalie stared at him. "I'm serious, you've been there what, six years? You had to have learned something."

"Perhaps, but I don't know everything," she stated. "Plus, everyone sort of does their own thing, to be successful you have to respect that."

 

Dandy chewed thoughtfully, thinking of all the ideas he had gathered this afternoon alone. "I want to perform too."

 

Rosalie sipped her sparkling cider, nodding appreciatively. Just in case she was pregnant, she wanted to play it safe. "What would you do?"

 

He shrugged, "Well, it's one step closer to becoming the thespian I've always wanted to be. I know the  _entire_ Cole Porter canon. There are so many ideas, it's exciting."

 

"You know that if I'm pregnant, it won't be safe for the baby or me to have me be an acrobat, right?"

 

Dandy pouted, "I didn't even think of that. What else are you good at?"

 

Rosalie laughed lightly, "I don't know. Elsa never let me do anything else, said she was the only one who could branch out."

 

Dandy rolled his eyes, "Go figure, just another person preventing the rest from living their dreams. Lucky for you, Rose, it's your time to shine." he scarfed the rest of his pie down, causing Rosalie to laugh harder. "Let's go."

 

"And do  _what_?" she asked, watching as he stood up and came around the table, helping her up.

 

"We have to find another talent for you!" He said, leading her upstairs and into the playroom. "I don't have any sound equipment yet, but you could sing and dance or something."

 

"I could dance, but I'd still have to watch..."

 

"Okay, how about singing. Can you sing?"

 

Rosalie watched as Dandy dug in one of his drawers. He pulled out thick books full of sheet music, handing a few to her. Her knees almost buckled under the weight.

 

"I did chorus for seven years..." she mumbled.

 

Dandy gawked at her, "That's amazing. You have to be good then, your pitch and tone must be incredible!"

 

Rosalie saw most of the songs were, in fact, the Cole Porter canon. "I was good in a group, but as a solo artist, Dandy, I'm not sure..."

 

Dandy had quieted down, tilting his head at her as he watched her fumble with the books. She frowned, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

 

"This is almost like how we met.  _Officially,"_ he replied.

 

Rosalie looked at the books in her hands, to how Dandy was now beaming at her.

 

"I was showing you my script collection, we almost rehearsed a scene together. Now here we are, and you're still here. And you love me."

 

Rosalie set the books down on top of the cabinet, before embracing him in a hug. Dandy hugged her back, pressing his cheek to her head.

 

"You changed my life." she whispered.

 

"You changed mine too," he said. "I don't hate this place anymore," Dandy observed, pulling away to look down at her again. "It feels more like home."

 

Rosalie kissed his cheek before they set to look at the sheet music.

"You can also read sheet music, that's really hot," Dandy said after a few moments of browsing.

Rosalie snickered, "I have never heard you use that word before."

"It will be the last time, too, it left a bad taste in my mouth."

 

-

 

True to Dandy's word, Monday rolled around, and they had visited the grounds.

Rosalie hugged all of her friends, seeing that Jimmy was nowhere to be found. Eve looked at her engagement ring, smiling brightly and joking about her invitation being in the mail.

 

Bette and Dot Tattler had waved, and Rosalie could tell that Dot still very much remembered the last time she saw Dandy. Bette always had a dreamy look in her eyes, and Rosalie thought it was sweet.

 

Rosalie spoke only a few words to Elsa the entire visit. She took one look at the gigantic rock on Rosalie's finger and chuckled, not commenting or congratulating her. Rosalie didn't really mind, she knew that Elsa felt betrayed by her leaving. She guessed she deserved it.

 

Dandy was excited as Elsa gave him a tour of the entire main stage, telling him what was staying and what she was taking with her to Hollywood. Rosalie saw a bunch of old props that hadn't seen the light of day in years.

 

"I informed all of my monsters about my departure," Elsa explained as they ended their tour, now lounging in Elsa's tent. Most of her things were packed away, save for her bed, a small couch, and a lumpy chair that had a shawl draped over it.

 

"Mr. Mott," Elsa had said after the two shared a celebratory glass of wine, "I must have a word with Rosalie, privately." She said firmly.

 

Dandy glanced at Rosalie, who looked nervous.

 

"Of course," He nodded, standing up and leaving the tent, but not before giving both women a glance before he disappeared from view.

 

Elsa poured herself another glass of wine, taking a deep drink as she sunk into the chair right across from Rosalie.

 

"Tell me," Elsa began, looking Rosalie dead in the eye. "What do you see in him?"

 

Rosalie was taken off guard. She assumed this would be about anything other than Dandy.

 

When she didn't respond right away, Elsa continued, "I always thought you were a smart girl. You worked hard, you were born to be in the spotlight. You didn't come from much, your parents were dirt poor, and a little absent."

 

Rosalie didn't understand where this was going. "I didn't have the best relationship with my parents, but they loved me."

 

Elsa chuckled, "I know that. But they weren't there for you like they should have been.  _Before_ they died," Elsa took another drink of her wine. "When I took you in, I had hoped that I could give you a sense of normalcy. I wanted to be a mother figure to you. But I fell short, just like your parents."

 

Rosalie's hands began to fidget like they always did when she was anxious.

 

"You left our Jimmy boy heartbroken," Elsa said, her voice louder as she lit a cigarette, taking a puff. Rosalie watched her, the smoke tickling her nose. "It was your choice, of course. I'm not trying to take that from you. But this man, who put that ring on your finger," Elsa pointed to Rosalie's hand. "What does he have to offer you other than money and good looking children?"

 

Rosalie started to feel angry, "You don't know him, why are you saying these things?"

 

Elsa laughed, "Rosalie, I see men for what they are. He's good looking, rich, and loyal, as it seems. I caught him the other day trying to feed Barbara, he was making airplane noises when I was trying to explain my plans to make it in Hollywood."

 

Rosalie felt her cheeks get hot.

"Our Jimmy has concerns of his own. You understand, dear that we're concerned for you."

 

"Jimmy doesn't have a say in how I live my life," Rosalie straightened up, her hands folded in her lap. "And neither do you. If you're that concerned for me, why would you sell all of this to him?" She asked.

 

Elsa took another puff, her eyes not leaving Rosalie as she looked the young girl up and down, trying to figure out what was so different about her. Other than the fancy clothes, or the two large rings adorning her fingers, or the new sense of superiority wafting from her.

 

"Your boy toy is rich," Elsa said, "He can take care of my monsters for me until all of this is run the hell out of this town!" Elsa said, "Plus, he has you. You know the business, you'd be a good mentor."

 

Rosalie wished everyone would stop saying that. "I don't know how to do that. I can't run this on my own."

 

"The others will be there, you know, all the ones you left like a pile of dog shit?"

 

Rosalie stood up, glaring down at Elsa, who only watched her with condescending eyes.

"I love him," Rosalie stated. "I'm his. I just want him. I don't want all of this, I never asked for all of this."

 

"Your friends are too blind to see who you really are," Elsa said darkly. "You abandoned all of those who were here for you from the beginning. You left for some boy, you're a disgrace to yourself, to me, and every other freak in this world."

 

Rosalie rolled her eyes, "For someone who says she wants the best for her family, it only applies when there's something in it that benefits you."

 

Elsa's eyes flashed in anger, before she stood up, the two women standing eye to eye as they glared at each other.

 

"Once he's done with you, he's going to break your heart!" Elsa exclaimed, dropping her glass on the ground. Wine spilled over her shoes, but she didn't seem to notice. "A boy like that, that's all they're ever good for. He's going to wind you up, use your looks and naivety before he moves on to the next, and the next, and the  _next_." Elsa seethed.

 

"Oh, go fuck yourself, Elsa!" Rosalie shot back, surprising Elsa, who took a step back. She had never heard Rosalie use this type of language. "I'm not sixteen anymore, I'm not afraid of you."

 

Elsa laughed, taking a final drag of her smoke before putting it out. "Rosalie, _liebchen,"_ Elsa took a seat, crossing her legs, "Just wait and see. He'll cause you sorrow, just you wait."

 

Rosalie left the tent, fuming as she went searching for Dandy. They weren't coming back until Elsa was far away from here.

 

She was quiet the entire way home, and Dandy desperately tried not to pry. His hands itched as he held the wheel, glancing at her multiple times as she wouldn't settle on a radio station, a pout on her lips.

 

They arrived home before dinner, and Rosalie entered the kitchen to drink some juice when the phone rang. Dandy picked it up, hearing the voice of a young woman claiming to be from the doctor's office.

 

"It's for you," Dandy said as Rosalie walked in, holding a cup of orange juice.

Rosalie took it from him, "Hello?"

"Ms. Greene? My name is Mrs. Paulson, I'm Dr. Shorts assistant nurse, do you have a moment?"

 

Rosalie's heart lurched, "Ye- Yes, hi? Hi." Rosalie stumbled over her words. She heard Mrs. Paulson laugh. "Yes, what's going on?"

 

 

"Your results came back positive, Ms. Greene. You're going to be a mother."

 


End file.
